The 63rd+1st cocktail bar and restaurant in Harrogate is to close, less than a year after opening.
The venue opened in the former Ask Italian restaurant on Albert Street on November 26 last year.
But the company confirmed today it would cease trading in Harrogate on November 13.
A spokesperson for 63rd+1st said:
“We have made the difficult decision to close our 63rd+1st location in Harrogate.
“Whilst it has been popular with guests, the current economic climate has impacted trading – as it has done across the wider hospitality industry.
“We would like to sincerely thank our team for their hard work, and loyal guests for their support.”
Read more:
- ‘Sneak peek’ Harrogate’s new Manhattan-style cocktail bar
- Hollywood actor praises Harrogate as he runs laps of ‘extraordinary’ Stray
63rd+1st was set up by TGI Fridays UK. Named after the street in New York that was home to the original TGI Fridays, its Harrogate venue joined the likes of Yo Sushi! and Estabulo on Albert Street last year.
The restaurant area
The company said at the time it would generate 30 part-time and full-time jobs. Those affected were told the news today.
The restaurant, lounge and bar was built to seat 101 people and to serve Manhattan street food.
The company said it wanted to attract customers ranging from early morning coffee drinkers to late evening drinkers.
‘Sneak peek’: Harrogate’s new Manhattan-style cocktail barHarrogate’s answer to a Manhattan cocktail bar will open it’s doors on Friday, with the launch of 63rd+1st.
Decked out in trendy dark blue and gold, and featuring lots of greenery, the restaurant, lounge and bar on Albert Street is aimed at customers who might just want a nibble and a drink after work or a meal out with friends.
The restaurant area.
The extensive selection of cocktails, priced at around £10, include the likes of a New York Hangover and a Fuhgeddaboudit, as well as a more traditional selection. There is also a good choice of low alcohol or alcohol-free options.
With plenty of other restaurants in the area, as well as bars on nearby John Street, the venue will need to stand out from the crowd.
And general manager Eva Souza, from Harrogate, who has been in the hospitality industry for 15 years, believes it will.
She said:
“The location is really great in the town centre. I believe we are the right cocktail bar and restaurant for this particular place.
“People love to go out here and enjoy nice surroundings and I believe this is the right place for Harrogate people.
“There are a lot of Italian restaurants in this area and this is something unique. I believe it is something new for the town.
“Our bartenders are really well-trained and the bar itself is beautiful. You can sit around it and watch them prepare the cocktails.
“It’s like a home away from home and we want to be a nice, cosy place for everyone. The place is very stylish and I hope guests will be very happy here.”
General manager Eva Souza enjoying a cocktail in the lounge area.
The new 3,380 sq ft venue, which was formerly Ask Italian, seats 101, as well as another 12 outside.
The menu is inspired by Manhattan street food and features small plates to enjoy with a cocktail, as well as larger dishes.
It includes a ‘signature burger’ steaks and seafood, as well as savoury donuts, a crayfish roll and a corndog. Small plates include arancini and calamari.
Head chef Nick Chappelow, who is also from Harrogate, said:
“I’m excited to cook all of it. The menu is great.
“I like the fact that there are sharing plates on the menu. It’s more relaxed and you get to just graze, so it’s somewhere in between tapas and a main meal starter size.
“The jammy chicken lollipops are insane.
“There’s a really good team here. I’ve been a head chef for 20 plus years, so I’ve seen a lot and it’s nice to go into this going forward.
“It’s fresh and funky and we are going to hit the ground running.”
Read more:
Brunch will be served from 9am on a Friday and over the weekend and there will also be a Sunday lunch option. Diners can also choose table service or they can order and pay using a tablet.
American-style booths in the restaurant area.
The venue, which will generate 30 part-time and full-time jobs, is being developed by Hostmore PLC, which also includes TGI Fridays as part of its portfolio. It is named after the street in New York that was home to the original TGI Fridays and where Tom Cruise filmed Cocktail.
Harrogate’s branch is the third to open in the UK behind Surrey in May and Glasgow in September.
- 63rd and 1st opens on Friday, November 26, at 9am.
The opening date of a Harrogate cocktail bar and restaurant, which is owned by TGI Fridays UK, has been revealed.
63rd+1st will welcome its first customers on November 26.
The venue, named after the street in New York that was home to the original TGI Fridays, will generate 30 part-time and full-time jobs.
Joining the likes of Yo Sushi! and Estabulo on Albert Street, the company has said it wants the place to attract customers ranging from early morning coffee drinkers right to late evening drinkers.
The restaurant, lounge and bar will seat 101 people and there will also be an outdoor dining area. The menu is inspired by Manhattan street food.
Read more:
- Harrogate family opens luxury Swiss appliance studio in UK first
- Behind the scenes of Harrogate’s new £6m food hall
Robert Cook, chief executive of 63rd+1st said:
New Harrogate TGI Fridays venue to open in November”63rd+1st represents the coming together of people, culture, tastes and styles. Inspired by over 50 years of unique heritage it is a cocktail bar and restaurant where great things happen.
”We have always felt the loyalty from our Yorkshire fan base and we can’t wait to welcome them to enjoy the 63rd+1st experience in Harrogate.”
A TGI Fridays cocktail bar in Harrogate is set to open in November, according to the company’s chief executive.
The new bar and restaurant, called 63rd+1st, will be based in the former Ask Italian restaurant on Albert Street.
The American restaurant chain has already been granted a late night alcohol licence and advertising consent by Harrogate Borough Council for the venue.
Now Robert Cook, chief executive of TGI Fridays and 63rd+1st, has confirmed that the bar is set to open next month.
In a trading update for Hostmore, which is the parent company of both chains, he said:
“We are delighted with the continued strong performance of our two brands, Fridays and 63rd+1st.
“Fridays continues to outperform the market and we are opening our next two 63rd+1st sites – in Glasgow later in September and Harrogate in November – following a successful launch in Cobham earlier this year in May.”
Read more:
- TGI Fridays applies to open venue in Harrogate
- New restaurant and bar planned on Harrogate’s King’s Road
- TGI Fridays granted late night alcohol licence for Harrogate venue
The Stray Ferret asked TGI Fridays if there was a specific date for opening, but did not receive a response by time of publication.
The company launched the new cocktail-led bar and restaurant venture last year. It is named after the location of the original restaurant in Manhattan.
The company has promised it will be a “vibrant meeting place” and that it will have the feel of a New York loft in the 1960s.
When the new brand was announced last year, Mr Cook said in a statement that “audiences are becoming increasingly discerning and their attitudes towards food and drink are evolving”.
TGI Fridays granted late night alcohol licence for Harrogate venueTGI Fridays has been granted a late night alcohol licence for its planned Harrogate venue in the former Ask Italian restaurant on Albert Street.
The American restaurant chain submitted plans for a licence to Harrogate Borough Council back in March.
It was lodged under the company’s new cocktail bar 63rd+1st, which opened its first UK venue last month in Cobham, Surrey.
The licensing application for Harrogate includes films, live music, recorded music, late night refreshment and the supply of alcohol for consumption on and off the premises from 9am to 0030am Monday to Sunday.
Read more:
A TGI Fridays and 63rd+1st spokesperson said:
“We are excited to be opening 63rd+1st in Harrogate and will release further details on timings later this year.”
The company launched the new cocktail-led bar and restaurant venture last year, which is named after the location of the original restaurant in Manhattan, and plans to open more in 2021.
The company has promised that it will be a “vibrant meeting place” and that it will have the feel of a New York loft in the 1960s.
When the new brand was announced last year, Robert Cook, chief executive of Fridays and 63rd+1st, said in a statement that “audiences are becoming increasingly discerning and their attitudes towards food and drink are evolving”.
He added:
TGI Fridays applies to open venue in Harrogate“We are in a strong position to cater to this audience and, as a result, we are securing other sought-after sites in prime locations.”
TGI Fridays is planning to open its first Harrogate venue in the former Ask Italian restaurant on Albert Street.
The American restaurant chain has submitted plans to Harrogate Borough Council to operate on the site.
The licensing application includes films, live music, recorded music, late night refreshment and the supply of alcohol for consumption on and off the premises from 9am to 0030am Monday to Sunday.
TGI Fridays UK was tight-lipped about the initiative when approached by the Stray Ferret.
But there could be a twist on the usual TGI restaurant offering.
The company has launched a new cocktail-led bar and restaurant venture called 63rd+1st, which is named after the location of the original restaurant in Manhattan.
Read more:
The company has promised that it will be a “vibrant meeting place” and that it will have the feel of a New York loft in the 1960s.
When the new brand was announced last year, Robert Cook, chief executive of Fridays and 63rd+1st, said in a statement that “audiences are becoming increasingly discerning and their attitudes towards food and drink are evolving”. He added:
“We are in a strong position to cater to this audience and, as a result, we are securing other sought-after sites in prime locations.”
The first 63rd+1st was set to open in Cobham, Surrey in January but the coronavirus lockdown put a stop to those plans.
It’s unclear how many UK venues will accommodate the new TGI Fridays brand, or whether they include Harrogate.