Backers pull plug on Birmingham gin bar as costs become insurmountable

The familiar scene for many in the Great Western Arcade

Plans to open a new gin bar in Birmingham’s Great Western Arcade have been scrapped due to escalating costs, the companies behind the project have revealed.

Langley’s Retail, in conjunction with Charter Brands – the owner of Langley’s Gin, announced last year their intention to open the bar, dubbed The Charter Rooms Birmingham, this summer.

However, the companies have now revealed they have pulled the plug on what would have been their first UK venture and are looking for a new business willing to take on the lease.

In a statement, the companies said: “It is with huge regret and sadness, that we will no longer be opening The Charter Rooms at Great Western Arcade. Nobody is more disappointed than the team behind it but, from all of us, we wanted to say thank you to everyone in Birmingham who showed great interest and excitement when we announced the project.

“There were delays in the opening of the bar, which certainly isn’t uncommon when converting space in a listed building, and we pushed back our planned opening date. However, we have now reached a stumbling block that we’re unable to overcome with finance.

“The actual costs that we were faced with to fit it out, to a standard worthy of Great Western Arcade and the great city and people of Birmingham, versus the initial budgets we were shown and had worked to, were a long way apart. As a result, we could not raise the funds to open the bar to the standard we would want within the time frame we had to have done it by.”

Attempts were made to raise private investment locally, but despite interest, none was forthcoming.

“(This) has meant that unfortunately we have no choice but to make a very hard and sad decision to close the project before further costs were incurred,” adds the statement.

The unit within Great Western Arcade was handed over to the businesses last year and it remains under contract to Langley’s Retail Ltd.

“We are working really hard to try and find a brand that can take over our lease agreement and provide an equally high end F&B (food and beverage) venue in the same location. Great Western Arcade is a fabulous place and perfect for a high-end F&B venue, especially with the initial investment and works that we have carried out with the landlords on this site. It’s in perfect shape for someone to take it on,” continues the statement.

“To CBRE, Great Western Arcade, the brands and suppliers that were going to support us and, most of all, the fabulous people of Birmingham, we want to thank you for getting behind this dream and we are really sorry that we didn’t quite make it happen.

“We’re a local brand and proud of where we come from so we’re keen to stay connected to the city, and will do so with future collaborations.”

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