A NEW town centre venue being dubbed as 'Warrington's smartest bar' is set to open in early June after an investment of £250,000.

James Glover, behind Hideout, and Mike Mason, who runs Institution, are transforming the former Big Bar, which has had a chequered history, into the art deco style 'The Grand'.

The Grand

The Grand

Warrington Guardian photographer Dave Gillespie was recently invited to see the work in progress in Bridge Street which the pair describe as a labour of love.

James, a former St Gregory’s student, said: "We have other venues in the town but we wanted to do something different, special and that we haven't seen before."

The Grand

The Grand

The upmarket bar will be all table service in a 'restaurant without the food' style. James and Mike are also restoring the building's original ceiling and are adding chandeliers from The Savoy in London.

One of the key features will be two large beer tanks filled with Pilsner Urquell.

The Grand

The Grand

James, who is also a DJ, added: "It will be delivered direct from the brewery in Plzeň in the Czech Republic every week in temperature-controlled trucks, ensuring that guests can enjoy beer that is as fresh as if they were drinking it from the source."

If beer is not your thing there will be a variety of cocktails and a wine menu.

The Grand

The Grand

It will also be a spot where people can enjoy the likes of live jazz music, big bands and singers.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, James reckons that Warrington's hospitality sector is poised to bounce back quickly. He has also recently spent money refurbishing his Sankey Street bar Hideout.

The Grand

The Grand

The Great Sankey resident said: "I'm incredibly confident – that’s why I've invested money at this difficult time.

"Given the council's vision, I can really see Warrington taking off and outperforming other areas of the UK. The hospitality industry has already seemed to bounce back outdoors well over the past five weeks."

The Grand

The Grand

James thinks The Grand's proximity to the £142.5million Time Square cannot hurt either.

He added: "The location is perfect. Bridge Street definitely needs further attention however the building is beautiful and we couldn’t turn down an opportunity to work on something so 'grand'.

The Grand

The Grand

"It’s a growing town and the new Time Square has brought a lot of business to Warrington.

"Hopefully with The Grand we will do the same by offering something different."