Arcade chain makes latest move

A NEW retro arcade gaming bar is set to take over a drinking spot in Newcastle city centre.

NQ64 already has retro arcade game bars in Manchester, Cardiff, Liverpool and Birmingham, packed with classic consoles and arcade games from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s.

Now plans have been submitted to convert the former Intermezzo bar on Pilgrim Street into the latest branch of the retro leisure firm.

The company was previously linked to the former Zizzi’s Italian restaurant site on Grey Street.

Cinema-themed cocktail bar Intermezzo opened on Pilgrim Street in 2019 after moving from its original home at the Tyneside Cinema. It had closed there in 2016 when the lease expired and the cinema decided to take over the running of the bar themselves.

The building previously housed Bierrex smokehouse and Popolo bar, before it moved to the Quayside.

NQ64, which has the likes of Pac Man, Space Invaders and Guitar Hero in its arcades, announced plans for three new sites in Newcastle, Leeds and Edinburgh last February, after a £1.4m investment into the gaming brand by leisure investor Imbiba.

A premises licence has been submitted to Newcastle City Council saying it wants to open from 7am to 2.30am, and 7am to 1am on Sundays.

The original bar in Manchester, which takes it name from its address in the Northern Quarter, has become popular through its mix of original consoles – including an N64, a SNES and an original PlayStation – that are loaded with games such as Mariokart, Goldeneye, Sonic the Hedgehog and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater.