Club closes but games venue is all set to open
A nightclub which has become a well-known spot since its launch in December 2019 has closed for good, with a new entertainment venue to open in its place.
Eivissa, in Waterloo Road near Hinckley’s The Crescent, has hosted its final event, called The Last Dance.
Owner Graham Butler posted news of the closure on the venue’s Facebook page. He said it was down to the effects of the Covid lockdowns and the demise of the club scene.
He said it had been a dream of his since he was 18 to open a nightclub, and although he was pleased to have achieved this, he feels that the timing was wrong.
Graham - who also owns Hinckley cafe bar Carter’s Lounge - said: “Things have been really hard after Covid. We’ve been doing Eivissa for just over three years and we’ve been shut for half of that time, and we’ve found that since Covid, people are coming out later.”
Graham says Eivissa was opened due to the amount of interest the DJ nights at Carter’s Lounge attracted.
“We used to put on one-off DJ events every now and then and it was rammed, so we opened the club, then we opened the rooftop terrace to open it up to a wider audience,” he said.
However, the venue has not been as busy as Graham hoped it would.
“We tried to make ours a premium venue, but I think the premium clients are the ones paying the bills, so whereas they used to have disposable income, they’re now paying higher electricity bills. The rising costs have made our type of clients not come out as often.”
Eivissa was originally open Thursday to Sunday, then Graham made the decision to close on Thursday and Sunday as there wasn’t anyone coming in. Finally, having explored all options, he made the tough call to close the club.
“When you’re running a business, you need to make hard decisions sometimes. It’s a lot of time spent away from family for something that isn’t going as well as maybe it should do,” he said.
However, Graham is planning to open something new in its place.
Carter’s Courtyard will be an entertainment venue, complete with pool tables, basketball hoops, shuffleboards, old school arcade machines, dartboards and more. It is due to open on Friday, March 10.
As well as showing off your skills on the games, you’ll be able to enjoy one of the bar’s handcrafted cocktails. A “classic burger menu” will be available, which customers will be able to order via QR codes.
“If you want cafe by day, cocktail by night with chilled, relaxed vibes, Carter’s Lounge is your place,” said Graham. “If you want something a bit more upbeat with more to do, then come to the Courtyard.”
It will be open from noon until midnight on Thursdays, noon until early morning (time dependent on how busy it is) on Fridays and Saturdays, and noon until 8pm Sundays.