Nottingham’s answer to games, booze and neon coolness chat with the Local News about re-opening after lockdown.
Roxy Ballrooms on Thurland Street has become a firm staple in Nottingham’s fabulous restaurant and nightlife range.
The Nottingham branch first opened its doors in 2017 and has since offered a unique venue to hang out with friends and family for some much-needed fun. Roxy has a great range of food and drink on offer plus games such as beer pong, table tennis, pool and shuffleboard in a cool and relaxed setting of neon lights and graffiti-esque murals dedicated to music icons.
Roxy Ballroom is perfectly located smack bang in the middle of Nottingham City Centre and is the ideal covid-secure entertainment bar to visit from afternoon till night.
Editor of Nottingham Local News, Dani, caught up with Roxy manager Joel Mitchell to find out what it’s been like for a popular bar to open during such a trying time for the industry.
D: So, Joel tell us a little about yourself…
J: I’m the brand development manager at the Roxy Ball Room Head Office. Our Nottingham venue is located on Thurland Street and we’re planning to open a second venue in the Cornerhouse, hopefully towards the end of the year.
D: Did the re-opening of Roxy Ballroom after the lockdown go ahead on 1st August?
J: It did! We took the decision to re-open on the 1 August rather than the 4 July, when the industry were allowed to open, as we really wanted to open safely whilst keeping the Roxy Ball Room ambiance and environment that we are known for.
D: What COVID secure measures did you implement?
J: We have gone above and beyond to ensure the guidelines from the government have been followed, to make our spaces as safe as possible for staff and all our customers.
Some of the measures we have put in place include, switching to full table service with zero bar service at all, as well as only accepting card or contactless payments. There are socially distanced servers, which customers can order from by using the QR codes located on every drinking/gaming table. This allows you to place and receive your drink or food order completely contactless.
We have also put a booking system in place, which means that you can only enter the bars if you have a table booked or we have space available inside. This allows us to work and operate in a safe socially distanced environment, between bookings.
All our covid measures and requirements can be found on our website: https://www.roxyballroom.co.uk/covid-19/
D: Since closing in March due to the coronavirus lockdown, have you made any changes to Roxy, such as menu, games, or appearance of the venue?
J: We have added some extra tables and we’re planning to add some more in front of the bar. Our bar was already set out with a two-meter distance between the gaming tables, so we haven’t had to change anything in that respect.
D: How has the public responded to your changes?
J: We have had incredible feedback from our customers and staff and the local authorities are 100% happy with the systems we have put in place. The new QR ordering codes have gone down very well! There is no more queuing at a bar, which was always going to be a winner.
Roxy Ballroom on Thurland Street is open Sunday – Friday 3pm – 12am and Saturdays 12pm – 12am. For more information, to book or to view the menu, please visit: www.roxyballroom.co.uk/roxy-ball-room-nottingham-thurland-street/
