Sakura to open in Manchester

Eclectic Bars - the private equity backed late night operator - is to open a Sakura, a Japanese inspired bar and sushi venue, in Manchester.

The revelation comes as the operator prepares to ramp up expansion and said it has ambitions to open between 12 and 15 of its Sakura concepts across the UK.

Sakura Manchester will open at the Deansgate Locks in the city later this year.

Reuben Harley, the managing director of Eclectic, told M&C Report​: "Sakura has been a success wherever we have opened one.

"With Eclectic we try to open West End style nightclubs in local towns, usually towns that have a good university etc. We're never going to be the kind of operator that has hundreds of sites.

"With Sakura, I can see us opening between 12 - 15 sites and I'm looking at places like Leeds, Durham, Exeter and Bournemouth for expansion."

Last month, Eclectic, which is backed by Avanti Capital, reported it had seen a 16% increase in total sales and a 3% uplift in like-for-like sales. It also revealed that it had seen a 57% increase in underlying profit.

The group also recently completed the conversion of its former Po Na Na site in Brighton into Lola Lo - a new tiki bar style club that it also intends to rollout.