NQ64, the original Northern Quarter retro gaming bar, will open a huge venue in the city centre this summer complete with a brand new outdoor gaming terrace.
The neon-splattered Northern Quarter bar originally launched on Short Street in 2019, but now, having outgrown its old home, owners have revealed they are gearing up to take over the 350-capacity Dive Bar next door.
From 1 August, NQ64 will officially move one door down the road as the retro arcade and classic console party bar super sizes itself.
Outside on the new terrace, two new arcade machines will allow guests to soak up some rays whilst they game and sip on gaming-inspired cocktails that nod to favourites like Donkey Kong and Sonic the Hedgehog.
Inside, meanwhile, specially-designed booths and banquette seating will make room for more customers and even more games.
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Inside the original NQ64, where it all began in 2019. / Image: NQ64
Time Crisis is a gamer’s favourite at NQ64. / Image: NQ64
NQ64 will take over the former Dive Bar site and install a new gaming terrace outside. / Image: Dive Bar
Alongside fan favourites like Guitar Hero, Pac-Man, Street Fighter, and Time Crisis, the new and improved gaming bar will be introducing the likes of the basketball shooting game Pop-A-Shot, and a ‘Wall Boy’, which elevates the game boy to a large screen.
Drinks-wise, NQ64 will continue to serve the gaming-themed cocktails it has become so famous for. Look out for the Power Star Martini, which offers a twist on a passionfruit martini, the Dr Ro Bev Nik, a cherry Old Fashioned named after the villain in Sonic, and the Donkey Kong-inspired Kong Island Iced Tea.
Elsewhere, there’s an extensive offering of craft beers, wines, spirits, sodas and non-alcoholic cocktails, as well as a bunch of old-school childhood favourite snacks such as Space Raiders and Monster Munch.
Speaking on the move into Dive Bar, Matt Robson, director at NQ64, said: “The public have spoken, and we have listened. No more 1-star Google reviews telling us it looks bigger on the photos, because this one is actually massive.
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“We saw the site come up and it was a no-brainer to move in, not too much of a trek from the original, with loads more room for games, and a mega terrace too.”
“We love to show we really do listen to our customers, and have chosen a venue that holds more games, more people & more fun, whilst not being too hard for our guests to find (we hope). We can’t wait to open our doors & show everyone what we’ve done with the place.”
To celebrate the move on Tuesday 1 August the first 50 customers through NQ64’s new doors will be treated to a gift bag full of goodies, including an NQ64 t-shirt.
The new NQ64 Manchester location will be open seven days a week, from 4pm to 2am on weekdays and from 12pm to 2am on weekends.
Featured image – NQ64
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Award-winning cocktail bar in Manchester announces shock closure
Daisy Jackson
Red Light, a Manchester cocktail bar that’s been named as one of the best in the UK, has announced its shock closure.
The beautiful bar on the cobbled Little David Street has said that ‘this Pride will be our last’, with the doors set to close for good on Sunday.
Red Light opened its doors at Kampus in 2023, an inclusive space with great drinks, events, and DJs.
The bar was the brainchild of Deana Ferguson, an adopted Manc originally hailing from Belfast, who created a cosy, welcoming space with a fantastic martini.
But now, the Red Light team have announced that they have just days remaining in their home.
They wrote that ‘sustained financial headwinds’ are partly to blame, along with the challenges presented by operating a late-night venue in a residential area.
Red Light in Manchester has announced its closureThe beautiful bar is on Little David Street at Kampus in Manchester
In a heartbreaking statement, Red Light wrote: “For so many years, this bar has been more than a place to drink. It has been a home, a dance floor, a refuge, and a place where people could find friendship, freedom, love, and themselves.
“We are immensely proud of the community that has grown within these walls, and grateful to every person who has been part of it.”
The statement went on to thank the DJs, performers, neighbours and friends who ‘made this bar what it was’.
Red Light added: “We want our final Pride to celebrate everything we have created together. Come raise a glass, fill the dance floor, and help us give this place the joyful, unapologetically queer farewell it deserves.
“We hope to see you over the weekend, for one last Pride together.”
Viral Manchester doughnut window serving ‘spaghetti ice cream’ to close down
Daisy Jackson
Baby Mayhem, a dessert hatch in Ancoats serving fluffy filled doughnuts, has announced it’s closed for good.
The brand shot to fame with its baked-fresh-daily treats, which customers could have topped with ‘spaghetti ice cream’ and cheesecake filling.
For a year and a half, they’ve had consistent queues for their doughnut ice cream sandwiches and coffees, and become one of the most viral traders in Greater Manchester.
But now Baby Mayhem’s doughnut window in Ancoats is closing for good, with its founder James Turner citing a rise in rent and ongoing building works among the reasons for its closure.
He said that it’s become ‘increasingly difficult’ to operate the site, with the wider building undergoing construction work, telling followers that he’s only been able to open seven days out of the last eight weeks.
He’s also said that there is a ‘proposed increased rent’ looming, forcing him to close the Ancoats hatch for good.
But it’s not the end of Baby Mayhem as a brand, with a unit outside the Etihad Stadium, pop-ups planned at the Joie stadium, another term at Manchester Metropolitan university, and more appearances around town.
He also dropped a hint at a certain Christmas Market…
James will close the Baby Mayhem doughnut window in AncoatsBaby Mayhem’s fluffy doughnutsCredit: The Manc Group
In a statement, James said: “After an incredible year and a half, we’ve made the really difficult decision to close the Baby Mayhem hatch – for now.
“Over the past few months, ongoing building works have left much of the site under construction, making it increasingly difficult for us to operate consistently. We’ve only managed to open seven days in the last 8 weeks.
“The works have also had a huge impact on our kitchen, making it impossible to create our desserts to the standard we expect from Baby Mayhem. Alongside the disruption and proposed increased rent, continuing to operate from the hatch simply isn’t sustainable right now.
“But one thing is certain – this is not the end of Baby Mayhem.
“Over the last 18 months, we’ve been lucky enough to build a wonderful relationship with Manchester City FC and that’s something we’re incredibly proud of. That relationship continues to grow, with our unit outside the stadium, we will have pop ups at the Joie stadium for all the WSL home games, and also popping up at Kids Fanzone at every Manchester City home game.
“We’ll also be back at Man Met for another term of Baby Mayhem Burger, with more pop-ups around the city, a few festivals still to come and of course, we love a Christmas market.
“Sometimes in business you have to take one step back to take two steps forward.
“For now, the hatch is closing – but Baby Mayhem isn’t. To everyone who has supported us over the last year and a half, thank you.
Georgina Pellant -
12th July 2023 
