We recently caught up with Nicky Rybka-Goldsmith, one of the Northern Quarter’s finest entrepreneurs and owner of some of the best bars & restaurants in the city. Ahead of this weekends N4 Loves U Festival, Nicky took 30 minutes out to tell us all about business in the NQ, where it all began, and where it’s going.
What are your thoughts on the recent looting in the city & the subsequent “I Love MCR” campaign.
I think the “I Love MCR” campaign has been fantastic for the city and further more communities have pulled together from different areas of business to show that the riots are not going to close or bully us into not trading. The evening of the riots the Northern Quarter was shocking and the day after was almost surreal with boarded up windows and every shutter which had not been ripped off shut! As an area / neighborhood the Northern Quarter has pulled together and decided to put on a 2 day festival called N4 LOVES U (3-4th September) as part of the I LOVE MCR campaign. To keep up to speed with all the developments and activities for the weekend either follow us on twitter @N4lovesU or via our face book link which will list all the final acts and schedules as they are firmed up over the next few days http://www.facebook.com/pages/N4-Loves-You/262703037080694
You’ve built a really successful portfolio, how did it all start for you in Manchester?
I came to Manchester to study at Manchester Met, once I had graduated I worked in a number of different fields and found my first site in the Northern Quarter in 2001 which I traded as an Interior design practice and gallery – four years later this site then became The Bay Horse, two years later we opened Soup Kitchen on Stevenson Sq (which we sold over a year and a half ago) I then bought into Cord and re furnished and most recently we opened Thomas Restaurant & Bar in April 2010 and in May of this year we launched the clubroom (top floor private hire space at Thomas Restaurant & Bar)
Over the last couple of years things seem to have really taken off in the Northern Quarter, how has that been for you?
My business partner Paul Astill was one of the 1st bar pioneers in the Northern Quarter when he opened Cord bar, he then re developed Centro and so on and that was back in 2000. Since then the Northern Quarter has seen significant changes which both retail and residents have benefited from. Yvonne & myself have enjoyed creating new concepts within the Northern Quarter and always love the area for its purity and independence
Cord Bar, The Bay Horse, Thomas, Soup Kitchen – what’s next?
There’s is always something brewing! We would love to open a boutique hotel and a few more Thomas Restaurants & Bar’s which of course is all dependent on finding the correct locations and sites
Would you like to plug anything right here and now? Events, Places, People…
Obviously the N4lovesU festival this weekend (3-4th September) in the Northern Quarter. Our fantastic new clubroom at THOMAS which is a perfect private hire venue, Craig Johnson & Ian Scott who have started the Saturday Social night at The Bay Horse (every saturday) we are also looking for new promoters at The Bay Horse! The brilliant new line up at Cord on Fridays and the pre Sankeys party on Saturdays which is brilliant if you have not already been its definitely worth a visit
Quick Fire Manchester 5:
Fav Manchester Bar (other than one of yours) –
Velvet
Fav Manchester Restaurant (other than one of yours) –
Aumbry
Fav Manchester Club –
Berghain
Fav Manchester Band –
Take That
Fav Manchester Legend –
Wilson
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Manchester Events, Manchester Bars, Manchester Restaurants, Manchester Exhibitions
