Two Swansea entrepreneurs have made a five-figure investment in Swansea Marina, building upon the success of their popular city-centre nightspot, No.6.
Matthew Benjamin and Neil Navarra will open a new up-market wine bar and meeting place called Squires, in Swansea Marina’s Squire Court, with the pair keen to be part of the business renaissance predicted for the city.
The duo plan to install high-tech business booths, with free Wifi and coffee, so local firms can hold informal business meetings at Squires, or carry out work duties away from the office environment.
Matthew and Neil also have their eye on a neighbouring unit in Swansea Marina for another innovative business venture in a wholly different sector.
Matthew, who has a long businesses pedigree in buy-to-let property and in taxi fleets in Swansea, says: “There has never been a better time to set up in business in the Marina and I think over the next few year we will see the city develop into a premier destination for food, drink and entertainment.
“With Squires we are hoping to add something really special, both to Swansea’s daytime and evening offering – I’m Swansea born and bred and my family are here so I have a real emotional investment in the city. We are a premier league city and we need to offer premier league experiences to people looking for a night out somewhere ‘grown-up’ and classy.”
Mathew and Neil expect to open the doors on Squires this summer, with the wine bar having a nautical theme in keeping with its surroundings.
The enterprising duo have tapped into funding via a Business Regeneration Grant from Swansea Council – a scheme which sees developers pay their project costs up-front, with some of those costs then reimbursed by the local authority.
They have also been helped, says Matthew, by relatively affordable rents in Swansea Marina, and they are encouraging other astute business people to take advantage of this unique period for investors.
“Swansea Marina is such a prime location and now is the time for businesses to put down roots here. The planned £500million development in the city over the next few years is only going to boost its value as a visitor destination.
“And I think the food and drink industry can be pivotal in the regeneration of Swansea and of South West Wales.”
The Welsh Government has already declared its intention to help grow the food and drink sectors over the next few years with its Food and Drink action plan – its stated intention is to grow the sector by 30 percent by 2020 and it has been offering funding, technical support, online toolkits and practical support to help those who want to set up in the sector.
And, says Matthew, as one of those operators within the industry the key to elevating Swansea as a destination is aiming high and thinking creatively about what you are offering the public.
“Neil and I did a lot of detailed storyboarding and market research before investing in No.6 and now in Squires, studying the night spots of London and Bristol that we rate highly. And we are clear that we always want to be offering something out of the ordinary.
“For instance our Sunday Cinema club at No.6 shows either cult classics or films that people feel a real emotional connection to, like The Wizard of Oz, Toy Story and Point Break.
“We are holding regular bottomless brunches which are going down a storm and we have the Sleep When You’re Dead barbers downstairs in No.6.
‘We have the rickshaw at No.6 which we hope to use to ferry people between Squire and the Princess Way bar, and we intend to run a rent-an-umbrella scheme between Squire and No.6 so people can go between the two without getting wet.
“For Neil and I, running a business like ours is about being bold, being creative and being imaginative and this approach is one that can be applied to the whole of the Swansea Bay Region if it is to flourish and to become the region it deserves to be.”