Brave owners take plunge in middle of a pandemic
TAKING the plunge and launching a new business can be a big decision under any circumstances. Add a global pandemic and the on-and-off closures into the mix and many would be put off.
But at a time when so many were closing the doors on businesses up and down the country, Liam Lazarus and Bethan Roberts decided to take the huge risk of opening a new business in the heart of Mumbles.
It was a decision that would end up paying dividends as queues of hungry customers lining the street outside Dark Horse has become a familiar sight over the past six months.
Despite only being able to trade indoors for four weeks of those six months, the independent bar and kitchen’s brunch and drinks menu, which features the likes of pancakes, burgers, avocado toast and seasonal hot drinks, has been hugely popular, even though the food and drink have to be enjoyed back at home or on the go.
Mr Lazarus and Miss Roberts, who are also behind Haystack in Brynhyfryd, only expected the pandemic to last for months, so when it showed no real sign of ending last year the pair made the tough decision to open anyway.
“We were looking to do another venture in hospitality because we’ve already got another coffee shop in Brynhyfryd called Haystack and we were looking for a second location,” Mr Lazarus said.
“We weren’t thinking of opening during the pandemic because at that stage I don’t think years was in mind, I think it was more months, so we were looking at trying to open just before Christmas.”
The pair joined forces with the owners of the Mumbles Road building, Peter and Natalie Loosmore, and decided to create a café in the day and a bar and restaurant by night.
Mr Lazarus, 26, explained: “Natalie and Peter knew we were looking and they were, like, ‘You guys could do another Haystack down here or we could go into a new venture.’ We loved the idea of doing a new venture which would include brunch and a kind of bar/ restaurant in the night.
“It’s something we never did before but we always wanted to do more of the night restaurant part of hospitality and the location popped up and we thought it was incredible. We opened in October, which was after the first lockdown and things started to look a bit more normal. We took the risk of opening right in the middle of it all.
“We run a coffee shop where we do takeaways that is really successful in Brynhyfryd and we thought even if we just open now and get our name out there ready for the big reopening of hospitality, then we’re there with the best opportunity to be successful when everything does come back normal.
“It was a tough decision and we were always debating trying to ride the wave. It was a huge risk. We know we can run a nice,
‘‘ It was a tough decision and we were always debating trying to ride the wave. It was a huge risk. We know we can run a nice, safe takeaway service so we just went for it - Liam Lazarus
safe takeaway service so we just went for it.”
After deciding on the seafront location in June, work got under way the following month and just three months later, in October, it was ready to welcome diners inside.
The business was only able to operate as normal for a matter of days before the Welsh Government announced the firebreak lockdown and bars, restaurants and cafés had to close. “We wanted to open as quickly as possible because we weren’t sure where we would stand in terms of Covid and getting support,” Miss Roberts, 25, said.
“When we first opened we had about four or five days and then we went into the firebreak so we went straight into having to do takeaways. We opened again in early November and we were able to do four weeks of normal trading.
“Then it was more restrictions with no alcohol, having to close by 6pm and we were thrown under loads of chopping and changing.”
With opening hours reduced and businesses eventually having to revert back to takeaway only, Mr Lazarus said they had to offer members of staff shifts at their other business. He said: “About one month in we were informed that we missed the furlough scheme so since we opened not one member of staff has been furloughed. One of the hard things was managing it all with no furlough.
“When we were open in the nights we were doing 16-hour days and the staff we needed for those four weeks was massive because we were going all day and all night with our restaurant menu, which we’ve only ever run for four weeks.
“We needed more chefs because it was a restaurant and more front of house staff and then we were back to takeaway so that period was difficult.
“Luckily enough we’ve got other businesses where people can go back to share the hours that way, between the bakery and the coffee shop, so we’ve been really lucky.”
But despite the ongoing restrictions forced on the hospitality industry, Dark Horse has managed to attract queues of people come rain or shine, with much of its success put down to people venturing outside for a daily walk.
Mr Lazarus said: “There’s such a nice walkway
down the front, then you kind of have to walk past the front door so you think ‘why not grab a coffee or a drink or grab food whilst on the walk?’ and I think that’s been a big part of the location.”
With bars and restaurants expected to be able to reopen inside from May 17, the pair admitted that they are excited at the thought of finally being
able to offer customers the experience they have been waiting for.
The vision for Dark Horse includes plans for chefs to be able to finish off meals at the table, cocktails to be flowing and people to be able to get up and dance into the early hours.
Miss Roberts said: “We do want to offer some sort of bar atmosphere so it would be nice to have people sit around the bar.
“We’ve got a licence until 1.30am on Fridays and Saturdays and then 12am the rest of the week.
“We want to keep the cocktails going and we want to be known as offering some cool, funky cocktails and just a place people can go and enjoy great food and great drinks at the same time.”