Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
On collision course?
New late-night bar in former bank to host outdoor music
A LOCAL businessman could be on a collision cou rse w it h fe st i v a l organisers over his new bar and restaurant.
Tahir Ramzan’s Casa venue at the former Clydesdale Bank on Nethergate will host live outdoor music during the Dundee Dance Event (DDE) and Almost Blue festivals.
However, Mr Ramzan has declined to say whether he will seek to officially link up with either festival for the venture.
Councillors approved the new venture only after licensing officers had imposed conditions on opening hours, noise levels, the outdoor space and children in the venue.
At the hearing, they were told Casa will provide food all day and will run “nightclub-style” late hours, with a £3.50 entry fee after midnight.
The new restaurant will be run by Riverview (Dundee) Ltd, which lists Mr Ramzan’s wife Nicola and local DJ Stuart Mitchell as directors.
Janet Hood, representing the firm, told the local licensing board there were “very specific occasions” on which the venue wanted to play music outside.
She said: “That would be in the Dundee Dance Event and during the jazz and blues festival.
“These are major events in Dundee . . . and they do not anticipate having any bands on except during these events.”
In a statement provided to the Tele, Mr Ramzan, who was described at the board meeting as Casa’s promoter, said the licensing decision was “fantastic news”.
“It’s great to see Dundee City Council embracing the fast-paced changes in Scotland’s late-night culture,” he said.
However, when asked whether he would reach out to DDE or Almost Blue, he said: “No comment on internal business decisions.”
Mr Ramzan clashed with organisers of this year’s DDE, who accused him of “cashing in” on the citywide event after successfully applying to run a silent disco on the same day.