New Hill Street bar plans revealed
Willie Jack’s Duke of York has been trading in Cathedral Quarter for many years.
Acclaimed Belfast publican, Willie Jack, is planning a fourth bar in the heart of the city’s Cathedral Quarter.
Mr. Jack – who was recently presented with the President’s Recognition Award by Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce – hopes to build his new bar in a disused warehouse on Hill Street, although speaking to LCN this month, he stressed that planning approval for the new venture had yet to be granted.
The new bar would be aimed at more mature drinkers and as many as 30 new jobs could be created in the city centre if the ambitious plans get the green light.
Rather than creating a conventional bar offering live music and plasma screens, Mr. Jack revealed that the distinguishing feature of the new venue would be its staff and atmosphere:
“I’m confident that people are going to come and enjoy the new place because it’s going to be so different,” he explained. “Our people are going to make conversation with the customers, there’s going to be great Belfast craic and stories, but there aren’t going to be any screens, except perhaps a black and white TV, and there are no plans for live music.”
Willie Jack and his business partner, Bruce Kirk, have been associated with the Cathedral Quarter area for many years, where they already own the iconic Duke of York pub; the nearby Harp Bar on Hill Street and the licensed coffee shop, The Dark Horse. They are also joint directors of leading outside catering firm, Hamilton & Kirk.
He received the President’s Recognition Award from the Belfast Chamber in recognition of the contribution he has made over the years to the night-time economy in Belfast and for excellence in the dressing of his venues.
He’s become well-known over the years for his efforts to beautify Commercial Court and Hill Street with flowers, murals and vintage signage. A large portion of Mr. Jack’s personal and extensive collection of pub and drink-related memorabilia found a new home when the Harp Bar opened in 2013 – and many more of the items are set to go on display when the new venue opens.
“What we don’t want to do here is make this area into another Temple Bar with hens and stags running around all over the place, that’s not how we see the area developing,” said Mr. Jack. “When people visit Belfast, they don’t want to see another Wetherspoon’s, they see those all over the place. They want something a bit different…there’s a need for a few good Belfast bars, good whiskey bars, things like that and we feel there is a real gap in the market for people in the 35 to 80 age group.”
Mr. Jack said that he felt the new bar would appeal very much to tourists:
“It will be good for Belfast,” he said. “We managed something different with the Harp Bar, people were surprised that we’d open a bar without food, but now it’s busier than the Duke of York in there and people are queuing to get into it.”
