The boss of a bar and nightclub in Cheltenham town center has asked customers to be patient after they closed six weeks ago. Paul Stephens said he couldn’t say when Aquavitae and 21 Club would reopen, but he was confident they would.
It follows a notice posted on the site saying the bar and club would be closing ‘for the next few weeks’ to allow for ‘an exciting new redevelopment’. The message to customers apologized for any inconvenience this may have caused them.
The closure came after Mr Stephens warned in March that fewer people were staying late at night in Cheltenham as the pandemic apparently changed their drinking and eating habits. He warned that the two venues, which are in Ormond Place, would face permanent closure unless they can win a crucial long-running battle with an insurance company.
READ MORE: The Cheltenham nightclub that once hosted EastEnders and Radio 1 stars
Markerstudy had refused to pay the bulk of a business interruption loss claim caused by the pandemic and Mr Stephens called on customers who had COVID-19 to provide vital information. But now he says the information has yet to emerge and the insurance battle continues.
He said: “The focus is on the financial mediator case which we are still fighting. We need it for our survival. »
The refit consists in adapting the places to take into account the evolution of people’s habits. He said: ‘We need better accommodation during the day so we can accommodate more people who are seated. We need cabins, things like that. It’s about having bums on the seats.
The plan is to cater to those who want tea, coffee and food during the day, but also those who want to go out for booze at night.
Mr Stephens, director of the company that runs the bar and nightclub, warned that without the insurance money they would both have to close permanently.
He said: “We expected to be open again now. We expected to have won the case by now. We actually had to put everything on hold.
When asked what his message to customers was, he replied, “Be patient and we look forward to seeing you on the other side.”
