New cocktail bar to open on Harrogate’s Parliament Street in two weeks

A new cocktail bar promising a “sanctuary away from the madness” of Harrogate’s Parliament Street will open on March 18.

Roland’s Bar is situated in the former Moss Bros unit in the heart of the town’s nightlife.

It will be the second Roland’s Bar, following on from the flagship venue in Leeds.

Amanda Keegan, events and marketing manager at Roland’s, said besides cocktails, the venue would serve “the best Guinness in Harrogate” as well as a wide selection of beers, including some from the town’s Cold Bath Brewery Co.

Roland's Bar Leeds. Pic: Roland's Bar

Roland’s Bar Leeds. Pic: Roland’s Bar

Asked what would differentiate it from the many other bars in the area, she said:

“The warm welcome, the high quality of drinks and the easy, relaxed atmosphere. It will be a sanctuary away from the madness.”

Ms Keegan said the family-owned business would decide the opening times next week. She added:

“We hope to bring the same energy, warmth and experience to our beautiful new home on Parliament Street.”

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New restaurant and bar planned on Harrogate’s King’s Road

Plans have been submitted to open a restaurant and bar, three apartments and retail space on Harrogate’s King’s Road.

GMI Developments, which is based in Leeds, has lodged the proposals for Ocean House and the former Ramus retail unit on Kings Road.

The developer said the disused properties offered 7,300 square foot of space to be redeveloped into a mixed-use lifestyle and residential development.

The proposal will see a restaurant and bar, called Frog, open. It would be managed by Roger Moxham, one of the founding owners of the Cold Bath Brewing company.

The new restaurant, which will be based in Ocean House and create up to 20 new jobs, comprises a 70-seat internal restaurant and bar with external pavement and courtyard seating.

Mr Moxham said:

“We will serve a diverse array of global meals rooted in Asia and the Americas which we intend to rotate throughout the year. 

“The menu will be underpinned by a weekend brunch offer all supported by a full range of hand crafted cocktails and beers and an interesting selection of soft drinks, teas and coffees.”

The Ocean House and former Ramus unit have stood empty since January last year.

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The proposals include creating two apartments above the restaurant. Meanwhile, the former Ramus unit will remain in retail use with an apartment above.

An industrial unit on Bolton Street would be demolished to create parking space and outside amenity space for the new apartments.

Chris Gilman, managing director at GMI Developments, said:

“Following the recent acquisition of the Kings Road property, we are excited to take this mixed-use development forward to regenerate the vacant site, subject to planning approval.

“With a proven, successful hospitality expert in Roger on board to create the new restaurant and bar, we are confident that his team will bring a unique and exciting destination restaurant offer to the town complemented by the rest of this high quality scheme.”

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.

NHS Nightingale announcement a ‘huge blow’ say hospitality businesses

Businesses on Kings Road who normally benefit from Convention Centre trade are trying to stay positive as the news that NHS Nightingale will remain at the site until March.

South African couple Mark and Gill Church only moved to Harrogate in December after searching all over the UK to find their dream location. They fell in love with Scotia House, a hotel on King’s Road that stands in the shadow of the Convention Centre.

Mark and Gill are enjoying welcoming guests again after being closed for several months but Mick said it’s been a “brutal” start to their new life in Harrogate.

Mark watched the announcement that the NHS Nightingale hospitals will stay open from Boris Johnson on the news. He said that whilst he welcomed the NHS using the Convention Centre as a hospital, the longer it stays there the more damage it could cause the town.

He said:

“For our business and for the town, it’s very bad”

Mick Wren, co-owner at Cold Bath Brew Co said the Convention Centre being closed until March is a “huge blow” to Harrogate.

Mick Wren, co-owner of Cold Bath Brewing Co.

Mick said their business is not as reliant as nearby guesthouses for conference trade and estimates that around 10% of its business comes from people attending events.

He said he hopes that the Convention Centre can return to what it once was.

He said:

“I’d like to see it how people tell me it was around 15-20 years ago. But back then there weren’t as many convention facilities like this. Now there are 20 or 30 across the country.”

“The frightening thing is if big ones go somewhere else and like it – then they might not come back.”

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Kim Wilson owns the Camberly and the Lodge on Kings Road. She has been part of the Harrogate Scrubbers group making PPE for hospital staff whilst her hotels have been closed.

Kim Wilson, co-owner of the Camberley.

Kim said July is normally their busiest month and it’s been tough to miss out on events at the conference centre as well as the Great Yorkshire Show and the Theakston Crime Writing Festival.

There have been calls for the government, the NHS or even the local authority to provide compensation to businesses affected by the Nightingale – which Kim says is wide of the mark.

She said:

“HBC doesn’t have an endless pot of money and we don’t want to take money from the NHS – they need it”

Looking to the future, Kim said that Harrogate can now position itself as more than just a conference town. She said she is optimistic that things will return back to normal eventually.

She said:

“I think things will recover and people will be surprised how quickly things snap back”.