Leeds city centre to be bowled over by new leisure concept
A BRAND new leisure concept – a cocktail bar and restaurant combined with a boutique bowling alley – launches at Pinnacle Leeds tomorrow.
Roxy Lanes, the latest venture from Leeds-based Jones Bar Group, opens tomorrow (May 15) in a 5,300 sq ft unit in the Podium at Pinnacle Leeds, one of the city’s best-known office buildings.
The letting to Roxy Lanes, which will feature four full-size bowling lanes imported from a specialist manufacture in the US, is the latest coup for Pinnacle Leeds which was acquired by Moorfield Group (Moorfield) on behalf of Moorfield Real Estate Fund II in 2011.
Jones Bar Group has made a £280,000 investment in the new addition and will create seven new full-time, and 20 part-time, jobs. The venture is the second new leisure concept launched by Jones Bar Group in Leeds which opened Roxy Ballroom, a bar and restaurant combined with table tennis and pool tables, in December.
Roxy Lanes will feature a 50-cover restaurant providing American diner-style food, including pizzas and fresh burgers, cocktails and craft beers, a total of 90-seats and a 180-capacity. It is the eight bar venue opened by Jones Bar Group in the last ten years.
Holbeck Land spokesman, John Barraclough, speaking on behalf of the partnership between Holbeck Land and Moorfield Group responsible for Pinnacle, said: “We were delighted to agree terms with the well-established Jones Bar Group immediately upon vacant possession. Securing a cutting-edge leisure facility is a significant coup for Pinnacle Leeds and fantastic for Leeds city centre.
“Roxy Lanes is our first dedicated leisure letting, adding to our diverse retail tenants which include Joy, Superdrug, Moss Bros, Next, Pret a Manger, Wish, Greggs and Tesco Express and another benefit for our office tenants and their clients.”
Jones Bar Group was founded by brothers, Matthew and Ben Jones, managing and finance director respectively, in 2004. The company, which has a £5.5m turnover and 35 full-time staff, also owns Bar 166 & Bistro, Horsforth and The Shed Bar, Brooklyn Bar, Hirst’s Yard, 51% Bourbon and NY Burger Kitchen all in Leeds city centre.
Matthew Jones said: “We spotted a gap in the market with Roxy Lanes by giving a quality lift to the old-style concept of bowling alleys and linking it to good food and a cocktail bar in a comfortable, up-market setting designed so people can stay as long as they wish and have fun.
“Pinnacle Leeds offers a first-rate location within Leeds’ commercial and retail districts, making it ideal for corporate events, and has fantastic footfall potential, especially as we will open at 12 noon seven days week. The Pinnacle team moved quickly to accommodate us and have been great to deal with. We aim to develop the Roxy Lanes concept and are seeking similar-sized units in comparable locations throughout the North with a view to pushing our turnover up to £7.5m in the next 12-18 months.”
Pinnacle’s office occupiers include actuaries, Barnett Waddingham; highway consultants, Steer Davies & Gleave; geological research company, RDR, re-structuring and recovery company, FRP Advisory; Optimisa Research and HM Courts & Tribunal Service and 25,000 sq ft of newly-refurbished office space is available on five floors.
Letting agents for Pinnacle are Eamon Fox, a director at DTZ, Leeds, and Roddy Morrison, a director at Colliers International, Leeds and retail and leisure agents for the Podium are Pudney Shuttleworth, Savills and Barker Proudlove, all of Leeds.
