Business partners Nigel McLoughlin and Paul Reather have taken over the popular York pub The Gillygate.
The pub closed suddenly closed back in July, after the previous owners filed for insolvency.
Brian and Suzanne Furey took over The Gillygate in 2014, and had invested £500,000 in a complete makeover — turning the venue into a thriving hub of entertainment with quiz nights, music and live events, as well as their annual conker championship.
But they had to close after the pub became too expensive to run.
Nigel, 37 from Wakefield, and his business partner Paul, 51 from Darrington, “plan to bring the same entertainment, food and high standards as the previous owner” and hope to “bring The Gillygate back to its former glory.”
They will be offering “great food and affordable accommodation, as well as live sport and music.”
Nigel has a background in payment processing and business utilities sector, with Paul having a background in industrial tank cleaning. In December 2021 they joined forces to open the Sicilian-inspired cocktail bar and lounge Cosa Nostra in Wakefield.
Now they have their eyes set on York.
“We were looking at a number of venues and The Gillygate stood out to us because of its unique character, letting rooms, quality food and reputation for live music,” said Nigel.
“Being in the centre of York was also attractive.”
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After the previous owners had to close because they said The Gillygate’s energy bills had almost trebled, financial concerns may be at the forefront when taking over a business.
But Nigel is “very confident we can save money on the overheads. Due to our other business ventures we have access to lower costs on gas, electric and payment processing services.”
The Gillygate will have job vacancies available, with positions such as chefs, bar staff and table staff.
And you won’t have long to wait before you can visit The Gillygate again, as Nigel and Paul hope to reopen on Friday 4 November — but Nigel said that it “could be sooner.”
Cheers to that!