Bluu Manchester

Bar & Restuarant

Background

Bluu, at Spittlefields Market, was transformed by a £150,000 scheme led by our experienced team.

Bluu has long been one of Manchester’s leading and trendiest bars but the owners were keen to stay ahead of the local competition. They asked us to look at the project as if we were entrepreneurs and it was our money we were spending.

Our Solution

The bar and restaurant now feature subtle references to Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland fairytale, with oversize seats, hints of woodland, and imagery such as love-hearts.

We made the restaurant into an extension of the bar but gave it its own identity. A bigger bar and raised areas with various levels to sit – to see and be seen – were also created.

A lot of the imagery is to do with a grown-up Alice in Wonderland. We were having conversations about the journey through the bar and we wanted it to be like following Alice through the rabbit hole into a whole new world. It is quite fairytale-esque with woodland references and querky touches.

There is also a very large Lichtenstein picture of a woman lying on a bed and if you look very closely there is a love-heart with the word Alice on her hip. We have also included military uniforms that reference the symbolism of the Queen of Hearts’ army. But these are very subtle and takes a while for people to pick up on it.

Results

The project took six months to plan and our team spent two weeks on site. Takings overall are reportedly up by 25%. Customer feedback has been very positive. Whether it is on Twitter, Facebook, or face-to-face with the staff, customers have said they like the space and say it is an improved experience.

“We have really enjoyed working with Monteith Scott on Bluu Manchester.

The team embraced the brief and delivered an outstanding scheme totally in tune with the customer profile. We are very happy with the result”

Colin Sadler