The owner of a north-west independent pub called Moo Bar has identified 55 areas of the UK where he believes the concept will work and is seeking up to £5.5m investment to roll the craft beer bar concept out, M&C Report has learnt.
Nigel Tarn has recently opened his second Moo Bar in Carlisle two years after opening the first in Penrith. The new site will be the flagship for the brand stocking 40 draught beers on rotation to reflect customer demand.
“We have identified 55 areas of the UK where this will work. These are areas that have a high proportion of breweries per head of population.”
Tarn has self-funded expansion to this point but will seek between £5 and £5.5m from venture capitalists in April to roll-out the concept “gently”. He told M&C Report he will look for sites in Preston, Lancaster, Warrington, Wigan and Crewe to make acquisitions “as and when the right sites come up.”
“Rather than rush the brand in to a site that’s not right, we will wait for something with the right size, location, ambience and atmosphere.”
The next site will not open until funding with venture capitalists has been secured.
Tarn also owns Four and Twenty, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Penrith, which he opened in November 2013 and The Waiting Room at Carlisle railway station.
