ON MANCHESTER Archive

Raising the Bar

By
OpenMikeNight
 – February 27, 2011Posted in: DRINK, ON MANCHESTER

Fresh off a visit to New York City and its overwhelming amount of truly terrific bars, I started thinking about what goes into creating a really great bar. This past weekend, I decided to try one of Manchester’s newest venues, The Gaslamp. The bar is quite unassuming, with only a small, easily-missed sign outside to give any indication that there’s a bar there. No noise, no flashing lights, none of the sparkle. Instead, what you get is a basement bar with an understated interior that immediately reminded me of some of the great bars of the Big Apple. The chipped brickwork and exposed steel beams of this hole-in-the-wall (ha!) bar whisper charm and add to its character. Its minimalism only serves to emphasise that this is a bar that exists solely to promote quality of service and product. Get those right, and everything else will fall into place.

So what goes into making a good bar? That depends on how you define a good bar and everyone has their own definition, but here’s my view:

Location, Location, Location: Open a good bar in an area that’s more accessible than alternatives. It goes without saying, an area that lacks a good bar could always do with one, but think about the experience and how people’s plans will be developed. Manchester has plenty of good bars, but most of them are in the Northern Quarter. Gaslamp, on the other hand, is located on Bridge Street just north of Deansgate, significantly shortening the distance to a good bar for many people.

Opening Hours: Near a venue open from 8PM-4AM? Open your doors 6PM-2AM. Remember the experience: people will probably plan to head to your venue earlier and move on to the next after you close and vice-versa. Gaslamp is open from noon and closes at 2am. When we left, people talked about going to Mojo (open till 4), but I convinced them Corridor was the smarter choice (also open till 4). Another great example: see Callooh Callay (open till 1) and Night Jar (open till 4) in London. Night Jar is my choice for a night cap.

Design: Totally depends on the people you’re trying to attract. Personally, I like something low-light, intimate, and with a touch

of class. Some bars are really simple and understated, which suits them just fine.

Gaslamp looks like they have seriously cut corners on the decorations…and that’s absolutely the look they’re going for. Minimalist and functional, this place eschews the pretentious attitude of Deansgate in favour of a much more comfortable and relaxed atmosphere.

Price: People will pay a premium price for quality. People will also pay a ludicrously-high price for crap. Some people want bang for the buck and would drink anything put in front of them if it’s cheap and gets them drunk. Think about the customers you want to attract and price the product for them. A good bar for me has good product at a good price. Gaslamp has a good range of beers at around £3-4.

Quality Product:

Of course, this measure of quality will be heavily influenced by my own personal preferences, but I’ll do my best to be objective. If its beers, the wider selection you have, the better. Unique and interesting beers from small breweries in far-flung corners of the world will do nicely. Microbreweries, craft breweries, and especially hometown local breweries are favoured. If it’s cocktails, start with fresh ingredients. Then simply delicious spirits. Then a range of interesting spirits. Better to do 5 amazing drinks than 50 average ones. Put it all in a nice glass.

Gaslamp doesn’t yet do cocktails, but they’ve got some nice bottles behind the bar and I have been assured they’ll keep it simple and strong.

Quality of Service:

Focus on the customer. Just be friendly and make your bar a comfortable place for people to pass the time. Treat your customers with love and respect and they’ll keep coming back. In fact, treat them like guests, not customers. A short wait is fine, 15 minutes for a beer isn’t. Can’t have a long chat? I get it, you’re busy…but don’t ignore me completely.

I spent 2 hours at Gaslamp by myself and had a great time chatting with the lovely bartenders. Service with an absolute smile.

That’s about it for now, but expect that this will be updated from time to time as my criteria evolves. And maybe someday this will be the criteria I use for setting up my own shop.

All these factors lead up to Gaslamp being a really good bar, but when asked why customers will want to return, the ladies of Gaslamp had only this to say:

“Because it’s awesome!”

“Because it’s great!”

Simple and to the point, just like Gaslamp.

It’s About Time

By
OpenMikeNight
 – December 29, 2010Posted in: ON LIVING, ON MANCHESTER

I admit it. I haven’t been the best blogger in the world. Not even an average blogger, for that matter.

To be honest, I’ve been downright lousy.

Not only was I not writing, but various aspects of the site had started to become a bit dated. The map of my most recent check-ins displayed a map of London, when I’ve lived in Manchester for nearly 4 months. After having updated my WordPress theme, some links no longer worked and the logo was out of place. Aesthetically and functionally, the site had flaws.

I figured it’s about time I wrote a short piece on what I’ve been up to and what over the past few months and what has prevented me from writing. It really comes down to time and prioritisation and over the past few months, I’ve bitten off more than I can chew.

In August, I started the full-time MBA programme at Manchester Business School. At first, I was spending all my time meeting the 127 other students from the 40 other countries and learning the ropes of the programme. You go to all your lectures, you attend every meeting, and you do your best to re-adjust to the life of a student. Oh, and there’s parties. Lots and lots of parties.

Just as you start to get your schedule straight by the end of September, the projects begin and the student clubs formally begin their new years. Our first project began at a not-for-profit organisation and we were working with real people on real problems. Great experience, but also a good deal of pressure. We have a variety of professional interest clubs and I joined the Media, Entertainment and Sports Society, as well as the Business Technology Club. Then the MBA Council elections were held in October and I, somewhat predictably, ran for VP of Social Affairs. It was a neck-and-neck race with my competitor who was an excellent candidate for the position, but enough students elected me to the position.  Come November, the importance of networking had been sufficiently drilled into our brains and some of us spent as much time meeting new people as we did on actual academics, if not more. By the end of November, I realised that, whilst I had attended most of my lectures, I had taken in very little of the material and exams were just around the corner. My amazing colleagues supported me through the last few weeks and taught me everything I would need know to succeed in (not simply pass) my final exams at the beginning of December.

So let’s recap on where some of my time went:

Personally

  • Getting settled in the city of Manchester.
  • Getting to know 127 other MBA’s from all over the world.
  • A few weekends away to the lake district, Edinburgh, and London (several times).
  • Meeting great new people in Manchester, primarily through The Gastro Club.

Academically

  • Joined two MBS clubs.
  • Elected as VP of Social Affairs and planned a few small events and a strategy for the coming year.
  • Working closely with the amazing staff at MBS in recruitment, marketing, and some policy.
  • Attending lectures and working on group assignments.
  • Two large projects, one of which is for an actual organisation.
  • Meetings. So, so many meetings. Meetings to plan future meetings. Meetings for the sake of meeting.

Professionally

  • Attending a few tech and startup events in London.
  • Meeting as many people in the tech industry as I can as I carve out my career ambitions…I’ve got it pretty much nailed down to VC or Startup BD.

After all that, as well as a number of other things that you don’t budget time for, finally came blogging. As much as I enjoy writing, I simply had too many things on my plate; I tried to do everything and meet everyone.

Now, I feel like I did pretty well in my first term. I met amazing people in my personal, academic, and professional circles, and am well-positioned to take on the second stage of the MBA. I figured things out and learned how to manage my time better than before. You heard it here first, I’ll be blogging more in 2011.

In the coming weeks, I’ll be doing a more formal re-launch of the site. I have a new layout in the works and a number of posts that are ready to roll off the (word)presses. I’ll also be focusing more on tech commentary, but will still be throwing in some cocktail bar and restaurant reviews. In essence, I’ll be bridging the gap  between my interests and my passions to make the site a better representation of who I am.

I look forward to the challenges that 2011 will bring and I know there will be a number of things that will attempt to lure me off the path of being a good writer/blogger, but this is something I love doing and I will do everything I can to give it the attention it deserves. It’s therapeutic, it’s expressive, and above all else, it’s fun.

To my fellow bloggers, followers, MBA colleagues, professional acquaintances, friends, and everyone else, thanks for the support: personally, academically, and professionally. I don’t discount how important the people I surround myself with have been in helping me achieve my goals over the last few months.

Have a great New Year and I’ll see you in 2011.

Michael

PS Apologies for the puns, but I just couldn’t help myself (this is a food blog, after all!)

Manchester: First Impressions

By
OpenMikeNight
 – August 28, 2010Posted in: DRINK, FOOD, ON MANCHESTER

I suppose I should start off this post for generally apologising for being SO beyond on writing over the past few weeks (ok, months). The past few months have been a whirlwind of leaving work, travel through London, Paris, Spain, Manchester, London, Manchester, London, Manchester…and back again. I’m starting to find my Northern legs though, and I’m meeting loads of interesting and amazing people on the MBA programme. Check out this stat: 131 students representing 42 nationalities across every continent. I am sure we will have a rough road ahead, but the experience will bring us together and we’ll all be stronger for it. That said, I’m making some good progress on the food and drink front in the few days I’ve been here and I thought it would be worthwhile sharing a few of my tips.

Drinks (because I always start with drinks)

Odder Bar (Oxford Road): This sister bar to Odd in the Northern Quarter has plenty of good offers for poor students like myself. £5 will get you a small pizza and a pint for dinner. The pizza is pretty small, but if you’re just looking for something to munch on whilst having a few drinks, its way better than a packet of crisps. They’ve got a decent selection of beers and a very chilled atmosphere.

Socio Rehab (High Street, Northern Quarter): Every single person I’ve asked for Manchester bar recommendations has always had this place on their list, and for good reason. The service is a little slow, but if you’re not in a hurry, their drinks are really something special. The staff are amazing at what they do considering their cocktail menu has over 80 drinks and even an order of 5 or 6 drinks still comes out right. My personal favourite is the Mid-Week Roller. Drinks come out at £6.50 each, which is on the pricier side of Manchester, but still way cheaper than London.

Keko Maku (High Street, Northern Quarter): This place takes you back to a simpler, more relaxed time; your own little island in the middle of Manchester . Leave your worries at the door, there’s no room for them here. Drinks are generous in both size and alcohol content. Also, they have a rum club for £10 that’ll score you an invite to one of their brand-supported drinkfests every 6 weeks or so. I haven’t been yet, but it sounds like pretty good value to me.

Mojo (Bridge Street (Backside), just off Deansgate): A rock n’ roll cocktail bar. What more needs to be said? I picked this venue for a recent MBA student meet-up and about 50 of us descended on the place on a Tuesday…entirely dwarfing the other 15 or so other people. By midnight, though, quite a few other people had come along and the place was getting rather full. Apparently, on the weekends, Mojo is completely packed and it’s one of the best late night haunts in the city– when everything else is closing, the party continue here till 4AM. With a pretty extensive and reasonably-priced drinks menu (£2 Quilmes, wow) and a good mix of rock, pop, and even reggae, Mojo makes a great choice for either a large group on the dance floor or a few friends taking over one of their many booths in the back.

Coffee

Java (near Oxford Road Rail Station): My first stop in Manchester and on my way to school. They have free WiFi, decent food, and they can pour a real nice cup. I especially like their frappe’s for those balmy summer days in Manchester. Ha, who am I kidding? It’s just a nice place to sit and waste away a couple of hours and they’ve got flat whites on the menu too.

North Tea Power (Northern Quarter): Wayne and Jane run this little cafe tucked away in the Northern Quarter. Apparently they are the first in the UK to offer espresso tea. No flat white on the menu, but they are more than capable of making you one.

Restaurants

Well, to be honest, I haven’t really ventured out too much. I’ve got a list a mile long, but I’ll save that for my next post once I’ve actually had a chance to try a few.

By all means, if you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments….I’m going to eat my way through the town over the next few weeks before the madness of the MBA really sets in.