'Huge opportunity' for Sunderland city centre as new bars and restaurants pull in visitors

Business chiefs in Sunderland have stressed there is “a huge opportunity” to encourage residents to come out and “enjoy their city” after praising the work of a new hospitality business.

It comes after it was revealed Keel Tavern, which opened in Keel Square before Christmas, had around 40,000 customers in their first two months of opening, equating to 5,000 a week.

Bosses from Sunderland’s Business Improvement District (BID) praised the success of the bar and said new brands and venues coming to the city are “definitely attracting more people” in.

The latest meeting of the city council’s economic prosperity scrutiny committee heard how the success of Keel Tavern and others is not “stealing customers” from other businesses, and is instead attracting new visitors.

Sharon Appleby, chief executive of Sunderland BID, said: “There was lots of nervousness, particularly from the Park Lane businesses to say they’re just going to steal our customers.

“They’re not stealing their customers, they are bringing more people in, who haven’t been coming before, who are now coming and enjoying that area.

“There’s The Peacock, The Fire Station has just had their best December ever, Keel Tavern have obviously done quite well, you look at the Park Lane area, the really good operators are doing well.”

She added new hospitality businesses opening in the city in the near future will again mark an opportunity to encourage people who live in Sunderland to visit the centre, as well as boosting jobs and tourism.

Ms Appleby continued: “That transformation and ambition is around new brands that are coming, they are definitely attracting more people, and I think a lot of people from Sunderland who just don’t come.

“That’s one of the biggest things, we’ve got a huge opportunity in that audience to encourage people to come in and really enjoy themselves in their own city, rather than going somewhere else.

“The businesses need to position themselves really effectively to take advantage of this stuff.”

Keel Tavern, brought to the city by The Vaulkhard Group, has been the first of four bars to open on the ground floor of The Holiday Inn, and it will soon be joined by new neighbour The Botanist, which will open for walk-ins from January 30.

Other additions in Keel Square include The Muddler, which is also due to open in 2024.

Meanwhile, in May the city is set to welcome RIO steakhouse, with work already started on transforming the former Halo site in Low Row.

Councillors at the meeting heard how work is being carried out to make sites attractive for businesses as it was noted although there are “lots of empty units” there are “little ready to move into premises.”

Steps being taken by Sunderland BID include an empty unit audit, talks with existing landlords and a new retail strategy.

BID bosses added there are “definitely people in the background who want to open businesses in the city centre.”

The comments all came at the meeting at Sunderland City Hall on Tuesday, January 9.