David Coley, owner of Belle's on Renshaw Street, has said he "feels very lucky to be part of the history" of one of Liverpool's most famous buildings, a year after opening his venue there.
A New Era for a Famous Site
Coley, who was behind the opening of the French-inspired speakeasy bar, took over the Grand Central space formerly used by Nelly Foley's bar, the reopened Barcelona Bar and The Hippy Hole. At the time, the bar introduced a new era for the famous city centre site, offering a full French wine selection and focusing on great quality drinks provided by expert mixologists.
David, who previously owned the bar with his business partner Andrew Chesworth-Wigger, has now taken over Belle's by himself, priding his work on service and community to the city centre.
Learning and Connecting with Regulars
Speaking to the ECHO, David said: "I was looking at Manchester to open a bar, and I still love Manchester, but Liverpool—the people here, whether it’s the locals or the tourists, everyone will have a conversation. It’s such a great thing for me and my team to be able to have great conversations with our customers.
"This year has just been a learning curve. It’s all been firsts for everything, but the main thing that we’ve found is just once you connect with regulars, they keep coming back."
David, who is originally from Manchester, has taken the opportunity to refurbish the bar. It has now been revamped with new furniture to bring "cool lounge bar vibes" to the speakeasy, creating an atmosphere where people stay longer, paired with great service from the staff.
Private Bookings and a Destination for the Evening
Now, the bar holds private bookings for events and parties which are fully booked until April 2027. David said: "We’re just really super grateful. We are so happy with the guests that we’ve had through the doors and the private parties we’ve done."
David added: "I was absolutely focused on my vision for Belle's. Sometimes when you have a business partner, as much love and trust as you have, you may not share the same vision. I want this place not just to be somewhere where people came in for one drink and moved on, I want it to be the destination for the whole evening.
"For the first time ever, people are staying in because they’re comfortable, they’re spending the night, they’re dancing, and we’re having to literally kick them out at the end! Which is a great feeling to have."
Hospitality Experience and Christmas Opening
With 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, David was determined to make people visiting Belle's feel at home. He said: "I’ve worked for large operators, and they’re always focused on sales and keeping the rota costs tight. For me, it’s about making sure that I’ve got enough staff on that are well trained and have time to have conversations with people.
"I lose the plot in a nice way if guests aren't greeted or given a goodbye when they leave, even if they’re not looking at you. That is my pet hate. Everyone needs to feel like they’ve been welcomed and appreciated."
David said: "We’re actually opening on Christmas Day for our regulars, because we’ve got a lot of regulars from America, India, Spain, and they’re not going home for Christmas. They’re absolutely over the moon that we’re going to be open. We feel very lucky, but they [the regulars] also feel appreciated in the sense that we’re constantly reinvesting in the venue with furniture and new products."
Preserving History and Future Plans
David has now added Estrella beer to the extensive drink selection as a nod to the former Barcelona bar which used to occupy the space. Being based in such a popular building gives a "feeling of nostalgia", the owner said.
David said: "It’s great that people have fond memories. We’ve taken it on now, and hopefully we will create our own legacy, so people will come back in years with their own children and say, 'I used to come to Belle's'. I do feel very lucky to be part of the history.
"It used to be a nightclub environment, whereas we’re more of a lounge bar. It’s amazing that we’ve still kept some of the original features, like the floor, which is so iconic, and the windows. The inside and the outside of the building are so iconic. We’ve only looked to preserve that because it’s very important."
David hopes to open a new location at some point saying: "If there’s going to be a Belle's 2.0, it’s going to be on Lark Lane. People are scared because there are so many bars already, but I’d rather be in an environment where people go as a destination and want to try new places. You've got regulars, but you’ve also got the big tourist crowd. There’s still opportunity to do something different on Lark Lane if we choose to go there."
