Northern Monkey Bar to stop serving food due to rising costs

Northern Monkey Bar,on Nelson Square, can no longer afford to serve food to customers despite the huge popularity and demand for its dishes.

The difficult decision is down to the rising costs of ingredients, wages and utility bills.

Speaking to The Bolton News Ryan Bailey, one of the owners of the bar said: “It isn’t a decision that has just happened.

“We have just been hit with a huge electricity bill, the electricity bills have quadrupled since we took over the bar five years ago.

“The problem we have got isn’t the popularity of the food, the food is massively popular and so are the drinks, but when your food is selling really well and you’re still losing money that is obviously where you have to make a decision.

“And unfortunately, we can’t afford to give food away, people can’t afford to pay extra prices and we don’t want to be that bar that is charging extortionate amounts, but the truth of the matter is it is costing us more to provide the food than it is actually bringing in, it is just a massive shame.

“It is gutting really, it is heart-breaking, when you have built up such a great reputation, but we have just had to press a reset button.”

Kellie Bailey, assistant manager at Northern Monkey Bar, and Andreea Oros, bar manager (Image: Ryan Bailey)Read more of our top stories here:

• Northern Monkey to host Business over Beers this week

• Horwich Old Station Park will have exercise bikes installed

• Bolton: HMO in place of Park Hotel pub blocked by council

Ryan, who runs Northern Monkey with Liam Convey and Kevin Barber, said it is not just their business which is being hit with high costs.

He said: “We went into the business promoting craft beer and we still get a good atmosphere and a good vibe, and we are a really busy town centre bar, we are one of the towns great success stories but when it starts to cost you more money than you’re making you can’t continue like that, and something nationally needs to be done.

“We are not the only ones in this position, there are a lot of businesses losing money rather than making money and it isn’t because they’re not getting people through the door.

“We are not the only ones who can’t make food pay which is not good really.”

Ryan said it won’t be forever and they are hoping to bring food back in the future.

He said: “It is hard, but it is just a reset button, we are going to get back to basics and do what we do best and then hopefully things might change, and we can hopefully put on a limited menu at certain times of the week.

“There are a lot of people gutted but at the moment our primary focus is the craft beer and hopefully in time we can re-introduce the food.

“So, it isn’t forever, and we really want it to come back.”

If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at chloe.wilson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on X @chloewjourno.