Thank you for your interest in this story
To continue reading this article, subscribe to the Stray Ferret for as little as £1 a week
Already a subscriber? Log in here.
07
Oct
Blues Bar owners to open jazz café in Harrogate
The owners of Harrogate live music venue the Blues Café Bar are to transform a nearby hospitality business into a jazz café and bar.
Simon and Sharon Colgan have bought Prego café off long-term owner Bryn Lachwatsky.
Prego is situated just a few doors away from the Blues Café Bar on Montpellier Parade.
Formerly known as the Catwalk Café, Prego will continue to trade as normal until the new year, when it is expected to close for a week to undergo refurbishment.
It becomes the 10th hospitality venture owned by the Colgans, who also have the Empress on the Stray and the Last Post in Harrogate and the World’s End in Knaresborough along with pubs in Leeds, Otley, Wakefield and York.
Speaking to the Stray Ferret today, Ms Colgan said the plan was to turn the venue into a jazz café and wine bar, which would play all kinds of jazz music and have monthly live jazz music in the window.
It will continue to operate as a café during the day and will serve wine along with cheese and charcuterie boards in the evening. Prego staff have transferred over.
Ms Colgan added:
The aim is to open from 8am or 9am in the morning until 11pm at night once the refurbishment is complete. I think Harrogate's crying out for something like this — there's no jazz here now but there used to be.
The Colgans’ hospitality empire has grown considerably since they took on the Blues Café Bar some 25 years ago. Look for a feature about their expansion on the Stray Ferret soon.
3