Jones Bar Group toasts its first decade

A CELEBRATION craft pilsner-style ale is being brewed to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Leeds-based independent family business Bar 166 and Bistro.

The foundation of the bar in Town Street, Horsforth, by brothers, Matthew and Ben Jones, led to the creation of the Jones Bar Group.

Some profits from the sale of the ale will go towards a local community initiative.
Matthew and Ben – now managing director and financial director respectively – were then aged 24 and 19.

Under their ownership, Bar 166 & Bistro generated a £780,000 turnover in the first year.

Further acquisitions came and they now operate nine outlets at seven Leeds venues, employ more than 100 full and part-time staff, serve about 280,000 customers a year and have this year achieved a £6.3m turnover.

Matthew Jones said: “We’ve had some knocks and failures in the last ten years but we have built the business to its current success through sheer determination, creating bars and bistros which we passionately believe in and which are increasingly popular.

“We’re marking our 10th anniversary by going back to Bar 166 & Bistro where it all started and selling our specially-commissioned pilsner-style ale at £3.50 a pint, from December 4 to the year end, and will donate half of the total sales raised, with a minimum target of £1,000, to be spent to benefit the Horsforth community.

“We are already in talks with Horsforth Town Council to identify a suitable scheme.

“We have a very broad customer base at Bar 166 & Bistro and we’d like to contribute to something which benefits as many local people as possible.

“As to the next ten years, we plan to take the Roxy format, which is successful in Leeds with Roxy Ball Room and Roxy Lanes, and take it elsewhere in Yorkshire and the North where we already have sites under consideration.”

Other establishments in the Jones Bar Group include  Roxy Lanes, Roxy Ball Room, Brooklyn Bar, Hirst’s Yard, 51% Bourbon, LAB, all in Leeds city centre.

 

 

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