The future of a long-shuttered former restaurant in Liverpool city centre has been confirmed. Liverpool Council has given sign off to OMG L1 VENUE LIMITED to bring the venue once occupied by Six by Nico on North John Street back to life as a food-led traditional pub. It will be known as The North John.
Background and closure
The popular restaurant has remained closed since August 2022, when it shut its doors due to flooding. Lawyers for Nico Simeone, the founder and CEO of the restaurant chain, said water began pouring into the restaurant due to badly sealed walls, filling a storage room, rotting the restaurant floor and causing mould.
It will become the latest venue under the OMG L1 VENUE LIMITED banner alongside four other locations across the city. The operators - Howard and Karl Gwynne - have secured an amendment to the existing premises licence which will now allow performances of live and recorded music.
Licensing and opening hours
This will extend the opening hours until 2.30am, seven days a week. The existing licence operated from 10am to midnight Monday to Sunday and 11.30pm on Sundays. Karl Bruder, agent on behalf of the applicant, told a Liverpool Council licensing and gambling sub-committee, how the business is slated to open by the end of this year with a lease having been signed on the building.
Mr Bruder said the site would be “more food driven” compared to the Gwynnes’ other locations across the city. Karl Gwynne described the new venture as “multi purpose” adding how live music would generally be kept to weekends. With one complaint submitted to the council around noise concerns, Mr Gwynne said soundproofing had been ensured within the building and existing windows were sealed shut.
Financial and legal history
According to financial records on Companies House for the year ending June 2024, Six by Nico forfeited its property lease during that period and ceased to have any employees. The Liverpool restaurant first opened almost seven years ago with the theme “The Chippie” as a nostalgic nod to the classic flavours found in UK chip shops.
In 2024, Nico Simeone, founder and chief executive of the brand took legal action against the freeholder of the building, Highneal Ltd, for more than £4.4 million to cover its losses, pay for a refurb and relaunch the restaurant. Highneal denied fault, claiming the restaurant's heavy-duty industrial dishwasher was the source of the leak. This appears to have been resolved through a private agreement between the two parties via a Tomlin Order out of court in April last year.
It has 12 other locations across the UK. The nearest venue is now Manchester.
