21
Jun 2024
Ripon nightclub to reopen under new ownership
A Ripon nightclub is set to rebrand under new ownership later this year.
Wonderland on North Street has been taken over by the owner of the Kirkgate restaurant The Silva Bells.
The venue is undergoing extensive refurbishments and will reopen under the name DeFacto.
The new venture will be open five days a week, from 5pm-12pm on weekdays and 5pm-3.30am on weekends.
During the week the venue will act as a bar and serve cocktails alongside hosting gigs, quizzes and Latin dancing classes. From Thursday to Saturday the nightclub will return.
DeFacto will welcome everyone from the ages of 18 to over fifties and will have free entry.
Owner Jenk Pepec, 38, says the club will “cater for everyone” and “attract a different clientele to Wonderland".
He added:
Ripon needs something to do, sometimes I feel old, like there is nothing for me to do in Ripon and other people will feel the same. That’s why we will offer more than just a place where people can get drunk in the dark.
At the same time Ripon has a large young community and DeFacto will provide a safe, clean environment for them.
The club is currently undergoing refurbishment but will continue to open as Wonderland until it changes officially to DeFacto. Mr Pepec predicts this will be within a month.
The toilets, staircase and VIP lounge are currently being refurbished and Mr Pepec revealed the cost of the project has already exceeded £60,000.
Mr Pepec said the rennovation would be a "big challenge for us to take on".
He said:
Ninety nine percent of the population in Ripon are critical of Wonderland like me. It is a challenging job to change the concept of a place in people’s minds.
Wonderland is so broken it cannot be fixed, but the club has enormous potential. DeFacto will offer something completely different and that is why we have renamed and refurbished it.
The Silva Bells Ripon
The venue will initially create around seven jobs offering both part-time and full-time work.
Mr Pepec said:
DeFacto is going to be a great addition to everything Ripon has to offer. When you think about it there are no venues anywhere near Ripon and York and Leeds are too far away, so it won’t just be for people in Ripon but for people in the whole area.
It will also be good for Ripon businesses, people will stay in hotels here, go to other pubs, and use Ripon taxis.
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