been looking around for the right premises to open a pub/bar/coffee house/art gallery/open mic spot/druming, dancing etc classes/second hand book and clothes swap spot/ gift shop/come in with your own drink and just chill out and read your book without buying anything kind of spot. found the good spot. preety good, big enough and all. free of brewery ties and pretty much blank canvas kind of place. please don't tell me i'm mad to get into this trade, have heard it all the past six months i've been working on this. tenancy agreement pretty good as, i guess, not many people crazy eough to buy, rent or go anywhere near anything to do with pubs. place been closed a while. painted and done up but just a shell. will need to get all the furnitu and things. would rather put the money into buying drums, art equipment for free or cheap classes for those can't afford, and other more worthwhile, please don't pick me up on this, semantics is not my strong point, things for the place. anythng else you might suggest would be looked into. so, would people be willing to dump their unwanted couches, chairs, book shelves etc on the me. give the place a kind of 'in my own house' feel. you could then come in and sit om your old favourite seat, in the pub! can't beat that. if you won't part with it free would gladly buy it.
thinking if you get a number for everything you put in then a raffle on the opening night, if you there, will win you 50 pints of whatever is you favourite tipple. if you not, i'll post the winning number on here.
not that you good peopel wouldn't help out-me, you and the world:hihi:recycling nd wahtnot, without a carrot dangled.
just realised might have put this post in the wrong area. if that be the case, i apologize profusely to the gate keeprs.

and breathe!

Blimey! Well it seems you've got a reasonable amount of funds to experiement with so I'd say go for it! For example a couple of my uni mates have set up and created a student based (but not exclusive) room for art events, live nights etc and there's a decent turnout for each thing. I think it's about getting the right people coming along.

Love the idea of a mix and match comfy chair thing! :D

So where we based...I'm gonna assume out of the city centre...please reveal!

There are a few empty premises around the city whoch could be turned into quite nice cafes/bars, etc. with a bit of investment. Try the former MATILDA pub in Matilda Street; this is right near the Cultural Industries quarter and all the art galleries, so you would have a ready supply of customers, day and night.

Have you enquired why the Matilda pub closed down in the first place? I don't know personally just a thought

I live quite near to this old pub and think it must have been really nice in it's heyday, considering the area, and the old yorkshire artspace over the road.... Makes em sad seeing all the disused buildings in the cultural quarter.

Blimey! Well it seems you've got a reasonable amount of funds to experiement with so I'd say go for it! For example a couple of my uni mates have set up and created a student based (but not exclusive) room for art events, live nights etc and there's a decent turnout for each thing. I think it's about getting the right people coming along.

Love the idea of a mix and match comfy chair thing! :D

I can imagine it now, "oi you get out of my chair".
Its a good idea though, like babybel said, once you get the right clients, your laughing.

Brilliant idea. If I had a spare sofa I would donate it! Sheffield needs more imaginative venues and happenings that are closer to the people (like most other interesting cities in Europe). Good luck with it... I've got a box full of books that I'll donate once you're up and running.

There are a few empty premises around the city whoch could be turned into quite nice cafes/bars, etc. with a bit of investment. Try the former MATILDA pub in Matilda Street; this is right near the Cultural Industries quarter and all the art galleries, so you would have a ready supply of customers, day and night.

The OP has stated that they allready have a venue.

it's the old mulberry inn tavern. good area, it think-o2 academy(used to be carling academy) the theaters and that. much bigger inseide than i expected and can see what parts can become what in the shell it currently is.
people have asked question about the notoreity(sp) of the area considering castle market and the pubs round there but think it could work.

The old Mulberry Tavern is indeed a good bet; like the Matilda its been derelict for at least 5 years, but its nice and central too, not too far from Hallam Uni; it'll be necessary to give it a thorough re-branding, though, to get people really talking about the venue!
Best of Luck,a nd looking forward to visiting!

Well I'm getting rather excited about this now, make sure it's not on a Wednesday, and I'll bring all the students that currently go the night I was talking about along....

Any closer to a theme, apart from 'bring your own chair' yet?

:D

If you can come in with your own book and drink and not buy anything, how will the place keep open? Serious question. If you are paying rent on the place, how will this work?

I'd definitely support a place like this if it opened (and bring along any spare books/DVD's if it would help). It sounds absolutely fantastic. Good luck!

not saying that you'd be actively encouraged to bring your own book and not buy anything, just that you'd not be told off or asked to buy anything. the hope is people feel they can come over just to chill out. it tends to work itself out if people are comfortable with coming in and do come in. there's a huge upstairs bit which i hope will host dance classes, drumming-got people looking to book it- and ohter once a month or something events-film shows etc. again, you can come watch and not pay or buy anything:-)
going to hold many africa(meaning world music biased towards african) nights on fridays and saturdays=thinking twice a month or so=as not many places do that round these parts. added to the open mic, acoustic, world music etc nights and things. the general rule-mine-is that music plays but not so loud as to drown people talking out, as it's more hangout that rock out most times.
people with tickets to theater, o2 academy etc would get discounts. bring five friends in you get a drink free for every round of whatever they buy....
most open to other suggestions.:help::help:

the books dvd and all else-if sold- will go to whatever cause we all decide. ANY.
babybel, the theme, i guess, is you feeling like you in at a friend's party.

was thinking of getting vending machine for drinks-bar obviously needed for cocktails etc- to keep the costs of wages down therefore overall prices low. fear it would make the place rather impersonal, but also feel it'd put the choice and in the customer's hands. what say you?

not saying that you'd be actively encouraged to bring your own book and not buy anything, just that you'd not be told off or asked to buy anything. the hope is people feel they can come over just to chill out. it tends to work itself out if people are comfortable with coming in and do come in. there's a huge upstairs bit which i hope will host dance classes, drumming-got people looking to book it- and ohter once a month or something events-film shows etc. again, you can come watch and not pay or buy anything:-)
going to hold many africa(meaning world music biased towards african) nights on fridays and saturdays=thinking twice a month or so=as not many places do that round these parts. added to the open mic, acoustic, world music etc nights and things. the general rule-mine-is that music plays but not so loud as to drown people talking out, as it's more hangout that rock out most times.
people with tickets to theater, o2 academy etc would get discounts. bring five friends in you get a drink free for every round of whatever they buy....
most open to other suggestions.:help::help:

the books dvd and all else-if sold- will go to whatever cause we all decide. ANY.
babybel, the theme, i guess, is you feeling like you in at a friend's party.

was thinking of getting vending machine for drinks-bar obviously needed for cocktails etc- to keep the costs of wages down therefore overall prices low. fear it would make the place rather impersonal, but also feel it'd put the choice and in the customer's hands. what say you?

Vending machine works for me (as long as there is a chocolate one as well, PLEASE!).

Have you got a website/Facebook/Myspace et al up and running yet?

no facebook/myspace etc yet. have bought the domain name and hosting etc-if that's what it's called!!!!-and am now just working on building the site. not very computer saavy so taking a while with the DIY software with the hope of giving it to pros when i hit a snag. which has already happened.

I think you're on to a winner mate, and there's such a diverse range of nights and events that you're very unlikely to get stuck with the same crowd of people, you could also get some volunteers in (nudge nudge) to keep the cost down and a helping hand to run the night. Once you've got an overall feel of what you can advertise and how, looking through facebook and asking through word of mouth to see what's out there (facebook's good for this) and visitor numbers etc.

it's the old mulberry inn tavern. good area, it think-o2 academy(used to be carling academy) the theaters and that. much bigger inseide than i expected and can see what parts can become what in the shell it currently is.
people have asked question about the notoreity(sp) of the area considering castle market and the pubs round there but think it could work.It used to be packed in the old Roxy days - seems like a good idea, about time it was used for something :thumbsup:

Sounds great that things are going well for the new venue; would Zion be interested in hosting some live music/poetry/literary events there during an arts festival I am organising for May/June? I'll pop in at the Mulberry sometime to give more details...

opening is tagged for round mid june so might be too late. anyone who does dance etc classes can have the place free or cut price if you agree to take some people_kids if you do it during the day-free. we can always talk about particulars. painting classes etc, studio space upstairs between second floor of pub and apartment.

no facebook/myspace etc yet. have bought the domain name and hosting etc-if that's what it's called!!!!-and am now just working on building the site. not very computer saavy so taking a while with the DIY software with the hope of giving it to pros when i hit a snag. which has already happened.


Might be able to help with this side of things. I'm not a pro but can handle my own in building small sites. I'm a graphic designer looking to branch out into web design and am sort of learning as I go - I know there are some very talented web designers on the forum but i'd be happy to help for next to nothing as I could do with a project to get my teeth into to advance my portfolio.

Message me if you're interested.

this sounds great, we will really be interested and would love to help with anything we can do. my partner said a corner for people to take their guitars and have a jam would be nice too. Hope it all works out for you

this sounds great, we will really be interested and would love to help with anything we can do. my partner said a corner for people to take their guitars and have a jam would be nice too. Hope it all works out for you


the corner's already been planned for:thumbsup: though the thing i know-i write, sculpt and paint-is that people would need to 'feel' it to use it. so might just let whoever wats to jam pick a spot. in my experience-eg in the red deer- people will pick the same or similar spot so nt too worried bout the whole place becoming one big jam session. though that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing:)

been asked the question 'with the being so much free and cut price at this place you want to start how are you going to make enough to keep it open?'
the short head-in-the-clouds answer would be to say i'm not in it for the money. true that as it maybe it'd be naive and downright silly.
there's a big dance space upstairs-a little bigger than the dance floor in cellar thirty five, a little smaller than casbar downstairs, or bedroom() and so planning on hosting different nights up there. got a few soundsystems will pretty loyal followings looking to use the place s that should be ok. the business plan for the club side of things shows it should work just fine.
the downstairs-my baby- will make enough to pull its own weight as long as we get enough people to come in.t
and there in lies the question. have had people who host nights similar to the VIBES, NICHE etc kind of nights, some who do EMBRACE kind of nights, some ICE BAR, TAKAPUNA kind, through to live music and all. the whole spectrum. the communist and artist in me says this is great and a good thing. the businessman and realist(another word for cynic) says different crowds bring different problems and some more than others and even if they don't the perception of what your place is hosting can be as damaging as a body on the door at the end of the night. besides, every business needs to have a specific target demography-good god!*-. not really sure how to deal with this one as the more successful the nights are the more (community and other) projects can be done withou too keen an eye kept on the purse.he free and cut price stuff-lessons, studio space, second hand books and clothes etc will go to making sure that htese continue. would be heartbroken if it had to stop but, unless i can afford it, i'd be wary of keeping them running if i had to bank roll them.
hope this answers it.

the mulberry tavern thing fell through. found the place that used to be platinum lounge then identity in recent years. still want to work to the same basic ethic but am aware that people might-no, WILL-not be too eager to go all the way to attercliff. the rents and things a pretty good and the decor though not what i had in mind, is very well done, i must say. people up for a world music etc place out of town?

where are you going to be and when

yes i would like to help out

I'd be up for it! I do love Attercliffe - it has a bit of an edge to it and is quite striking, in a dramatic, industrial kind of way at night.

good to know. place done up very 'urban bar' decor but am sure with the right this and that and people the mood and feel can be tweaked. still room for band practices etc and all the original plans. have been coming up against a whole batch of things i'd not forseen working on starting a pub/club. any experienced people out there know what little sneaky things to look out for?

anyone know any good dj's around. different night available so genre not too limited. live music acts also wanted. planning on an open mic night-oetry, music etc and would like to see if anyone would like to participate.

hope i put this part of the thread in the right place.