Number One Bar & Coffee House, a popular cafe in County Durham, is set to be transformed into an Irish bar after being sold to new owners. The property at 1 Skinnergate in Darlington town centre, which spans the ground floor and basement with around 200 covers, has been acquired by the newly formed D & J Pub Group.
Plans for the new bar
The business will continue to operate as Number One until September 1, after which it will be relaunched as Grace Kelly's Irish Bar. The new owners said: "Grace Kelly's Irish Bar is scheduled to open in late September to early October and will bring with it all the atmosphere of bars like the Dubliner and the very popular Katie O'Briens."
"Grace Kelly's will be Darlington's biggest and best Irish bar, with daily live music, and will open until late on weekends. When the singers finish for the evening, the DJs will keep the party going!"
Property details and sale
The five-storey, Grade II listed building has been sold for an undisclosed sum, off a freehold £650,000 asking price, with full planning permission granted for seven apartments on the upper floors. There is the potential to expand this to eight units, pending planning agreement.
Marslie McGregor, senior business agent - pubs and restaurants at Christie & Co, who managed the sale process, said: "Number One Bar & Coffee House offered a unique opportunity to acquire a substantial freehold property in the centre of Darlington with considerable potential."
"The combination of an established hospitality operation and planning consent for residential conversion attracted interest from a variety of buyers, including investors and developers. We are pleased to have completed the sale and look forward to seeing the new owners bring their exciting plans for the venue to life."
Former owner David added: "Christie & Co were very professional throughout the sales process, their hospitality experience and advice was very helpful and pre-empted hurdles along the way."
