North West bar operator receives £10m investment for new sites

Mission Mars, which operates the Albert’s Schloss beer and cocktail bar in Manchester, plans to transform the bar into a chain with sites in other cities.

Under the management of the founders of the Revolution bar chain, Roy Ellis and Neil Macleod, the group currently operates ten sites with combined annual sales of nearly £30m.

Now, an investment of £10m from the British Growth Fund (BGF) will see the expansion of Albert’s Schloss throughout the UK and the group’s Rudy’s Neapolitan pizzerias open new sites in the North of England.

The group has been operating popular Manchester bars Gorilla, the Deaf Institute, and Trof since its launch in 2015.

Roy Ellis, chief executive of Mission Mars, said the investor’s “unique approach” appealed to the group.

“Our mission is to create world-class food, drink, entertainment and hospitality experiences through innovation, people and sustainability.

'Long-term vision'

“The business has grown quickly, and our venues are increasing in popularity and reputation across the North West."

He explained: “We were looking for an investor which shared our long-term vision and is geared up to support expansion plans across the UK while we retain control of the company.

“BGF’s unique approach made its team the obvious partner to unlock the potential of our business and help make it happen.”

'Outperforming the market'

Neil Inskip, an investor at BGF, added: “Mission Mars has an impressive management team with a proven track record of scaling hospitality brands.

“The concepts within the Mission Mars group are innovative, well delivered and outperforming the market.

“The team has established a strong foundation to continue this roll-out across the UK and we look forward to supporting the next stage of growth.”