New boozer on Ferndale Road/Nursery Road?

[Brixton Hatter]

As spotted on the Antic thread by CH1, there's plans for a new pub at the back of the expansive Bon Marche building, round the corner from TK Maxx on Ferndale Road/Nursery Road.

Just finished flagging up the latest Harmony Bar application (Anthony Thomas/Antic) on the Brixton Society website, when I decided to check this application for a bar/restaurant at the back of Bon Marché.
Lo and behold its Antic & Anthony Thomas. 12/04578/FUL
Do they never rest? Hope if he gets the Bon Marché one the toilets are better than "The Goose"!
BTW disabled people needing lift access to these facilities will need agreement of a fellow Bon Marché tenant.

Design statement here: http://planning-docs.lambeth.gov.uk/AnitePublicDocs/00360926.pdf

Proposed ground floor elevation here: http://planning-docs.lambeth.gov.uk/AnitePublicDocs/00360929.pdf

Others details here: http://planning.lambeth.gov.uk/onli...ils.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=MEB8NOBOHV000

I had a feeling it was only a matter of time before someone would take on that space...it's quite suitable for a bar/pub/cafe and it's being lying empty, having recently been cleaned out. It's a reasonable sized space, though I'm not sure how much character it would have as a pub. Will be interesting to see what happens....

 

[Brixton Hatter]

In theory you could grab a quick lunchtime beer for whilst you're waiting across the road in the interminable post office queue... @onket

 

[editor]

I still miss the Rest Is Noise, "arty fags" and all.

 

[Badgers]

Blimey.
Pub resurgence in town.

 

[el-ahrairah]

bet you a billion dollars its not going to be a good pub.

 

[editor]

bet you a billion dollars its not going to be a good pub.

Maybe not. But it's still a new pub at a time where pubs are going out of business all over the place. And pubs can change over time too.

 

[Brixton Hatter]

Antic aren't stupid - they're very successful, hence their ongoing expansion. I expect if they get permission for this place, they'll probably offer a decent selection of ales/cider and serve food. Most of their places aren't averse to music either - DJs or bands. Clearly they're capitalising on the current popularity of Brixton though, so I can guess the kind of demographic they're probably thinking of....but who knows who will end up drinking there? IMO a pub is what you make of it to a certain extent....

 

[Dan U]

must be getting nearly time for him to sell out to private equity or (shudders) a pubco

 

[Brixton Hatter]

must be getting nearly time for him to sell out to private equity or (shudders) a pubco

that's possibly a good shout - they own/run at least 24 pubs now, with at least two more to come: http://anticlondon.com

Mind you, the owner isn't short of cash - I read on another thread he also owns a successful local property company - Lexadon perhaps? Or Black Ant?

 

[CH1]

Mind you, the owner isn't short of cash - I read on another thread he also owns a successful local property company - Lexadon perhaps? Or Black Ant?

I don't think that's completely right - "The Black Ant Company" is in administration and according to the Moorfields Corporate Recovery website has properties for sale in Lewisham, Norwood and Crystal Palace.
Anthony Thomas is a director of numerous companies, including Black Ant. He may be entrepreneurial and hyperactive, and "not short of cash", but is he actually wealthy?
Lexadon is run by Jerry Knight: consistently reported to be worth in excess of £50 million. Not connected with Anthony Thomas, AFAIK - in a different league.

 

[Brixton Hatter]

The Dogstar don't look very happy with the articles about this pub/Antic in the Brixton Blog!

http://www.brixtonblog.com/dogstar-owners-to-open-two-new-brixton-pubs-in-2013/9089
http://www.brixtonblog.com/dogstar-owners-antic-apply-to-open-fourth-brixton-barrestaurant/9135

 

[Agent Sparrow]

The Dogstar don't look very happy with the articles about this pub/Antic in the Brixton Blog!

http://www.brixtonblog.com/dogstar-owners-to-open-two-new-brixton-pubs-in-2013/9089
http://www.brixtonblog.com/dogstar-owners-antic-apply-to-open-fourth-brixton-barrestaurant/9135

Why would someone want to make Bon Marche into a pub? The old Weatherspoons which is now TKMax was approximately around that area and obviously didn't do well enough to stay open.

 

[Brixton Hatter]

Why would someone want to make Bon Marche into a pub? The old Weatherspoons which is now TKMax was approximately around that area and obviously didn't do well enough to stay open.

I guess the rent is a lot cheaper cos it ain't directly on the high street. And they might rely less on Academy-related trade and more on food perhaps? I don't know why Rest is Noise closed though...

 

[editor]

The Dogstar don't look very happy with the articles about this pub/Antic in the Brixton Blog!

http://www.brixtonblog.com/dogstar-owners-to-open-two-new-brixton-pubs-in-2013/9089
http://www.brixtonblog.com/dogstar-owners-antic-apply-to-open-fourth-brixton-barrestaurant/9135

There's been fisticuffs on Twitter too!

 

[editor]

Why would someone want to make Bon Marche into a pub? The old Weatherspoons which is now TKMax was approximately around that area and obviously didn't do well enough to stay open.

That's not true: the pub did very well indeed and was closed for quite different reasons.

 

[Agent Sparrow]

Ah, I didn't know that. Just did a search and an urban thread came up. That's a shame, I only went there a couple of times (both times quiet which is why I thought it had shut down due to business) but it didn't seem a bad pub. Also I always thought the Goose was a Weatherspoons but apparently it wasn't.

And so, they turn one pub in the locale into a shop, and turn another shop into a pub...

 

[Brixton Hatter]

That's not true: the pub did very well indeed and was closed for quite different reasons.

Which were.....?

 

[editor]

Which were.....?

The owner - for various reasons - decided that he'd completely gone off the idea of running a pub in the place. There's an amusing back story to this that I heard from some of the staff, but I feel it would be prudent not to post them up in a public forum. Sorry!

 

[Brixton Hatter]

The owner - for various reasons - decided that he'd completely gone off the idea of running a pub in the place. There's an amusing back story to this that I heard from some of the staff, but I feel it would be prudent not to post them up in a public forum. Sorry!

fair enough!

 

[CH1]

Why would someone want to make Bon Marche into a pub? The old Weatherspoons which is now TKMax was approximately around that area and obviously didn't do well enough to stay open.

For completeness - and sorry to "bump"

The Rest is Noise/Ivan's Retreat/Goose/Flourmill and Firkin was NOT a Wetherspoons!
The Wetherspoons is the Beehive on the opposite side of the road and has been trading since 11th February 1993 (according to Wetherspoons website) and still going.
The pub in the Bon Marché building was part of the Mitchells and Butlers group - and was open I believe from 1997 until January 2011.