Little Mix popstar Jade Thirlwall has teamed up with a growing leisure firm to open a cocktail bar in her North East home town.
Red Door already operates successful late night bars in Chester and Liverpool and is now set to open in South Shields with support from the entrepreneurial popstar.
Ms Thirlwall snapped up the former Beach Bar and Glitterball building on Ocean Road, which was up for sale through property specialist Christie’s last year with a £420,000 asking price.
The ground floor beach-themed bar has been replaced by the upmarket Red Door nightspot, with the leisure firm investing £500,000 into the venue, which is set to open at the start of November, pledging to serve up a venue with great service, music and drinks.
Around 15 jobs will initially be created with more to follow.
Meanwhile, the two-floor upstairs bar, which was most recently trading as House of Diamonds, is closed but the leisure firm may explore options for the upper floors later.
Ms Thirlwall said: “I’m proud to come from South Shields. I love my home town and wanted to invest in the local economy. South Shields is a unique place with a lot to offer and I wanted to support that.
“South Shields has always been known for being a great night out - it’s a town with a real party spirit so I thought where better to open Red Door.
Most Read
“I wanted to find a company that would shake things up and bring something different to South Shields. Red Door has bars in Chester and Liverpool and it was clear they would be a really good fit for the venue.
“The main aim is to create an unforgettable experience for everyone who comes to Red Door.”
Red Door said the 350-capacity venue marks the first phase of the nightlife brand’s expansion into the region.
Lee Lynch, the firm’s managing director, said: “We’re really excited to bring Red Door to South Shields. We know the people of the North East like a good party so we’re delighted to be expanding into the region.
“We think Red Door will bring a new energy to the local nightlife scene. We’re looking forward to welcoming guests and giving them the full Red Door experience.”