BrewDog takes second bite out of city’s bar scene

BAR operator BrewDog, the fast growing craft ale specialist, is to open at Crispin Lofts in Leeds city centre.

Rushbond’s Crispin Lofts is Leeds’ only residential ‘build to rent’ scheme and consists of 84 apartments in the grade II listed landmark building on the corner of North Street and New York Road in the city’s Northern Quarter.

BrewDog has signed a 25-year lease on the 4,060 sq ft unit.

The Aberdeen-based company is Scotland’s largest independent brewery, with a turnover expected to hit £32m this year, operating 25 bars.

It has venues in São Paulo, Tokyo, Bologna, Gothenburg and Florence, as well as sites throughout the UK.

BrewDog already operates a bar in Leeds at White Cloth Hall near the Corn Exchange.

Richard Baker of Rushbond says: “Our ambition at Crispin Lofts has always been about creating a true urban development within the Northern Quarter community and bringing a stunning landmark building back to life. The apartments are fully-let and continually attract tenants who appreciate the quality of our character filled, individual loft apartments and the addition of BrewDog completes the development.

“BrewDog has a very strong reputation as a leading urban bar operator that creates distinctive and very popular venues that always go above and beyond the norm, whilst complementing the history and design of the buildings they open in – which makes the company ideal for Crispin Lofts. There is no doubt BrewDog will also be a welcome addition to Leeds city centre’s Northern Quarter, which continues to entice discerning customers who are attracted by the area’s range of unique businesses and offerings.”

BrewDog co-founder James Watt added: “Leeds city centre has a strong brewing history of its own, and the response to BrewDog’s existing bar in the city has been awesome. The Crispin Lofts unit occupies a prominent position in a historic building and gives us a brilliant blank canvas to launch our second craft beer venue in Leeds, making it a very exciting prospect for both BrewDog and the city’s drinks scene as a whole.”