A virtual shooting range and cocktail bar is set to open in Newcastle city centre next year as part of a £500,000 investment.
Point Blank is set to open early in the new year in the former Cabana restaurant at The Gate, breathing new life into the large unit which has lain empty since the closure of the Brazilian barbecue venue in February 2018.
The venue is undergoing a £500,000 transformation to create a series of booths where customers can pretend to fire guns – using imitation weapons to shoot targets on big screens – while they sip cocktails with names like Firing Blanks.
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Point Blank already has a venue in Manchester and its founders will be aiming to open a third venue in Leeds soon after the Tyneside opening, which will be followed by more openings around the 海角视频.
The firm, which will create around 25 jobs in Newcastle, has also developed themed cocktails with gun pun names including Bite the Bullet, Firing Blanks, Mexican Stand Off and Half Cocked, as well as a menu of American-style food including hot dogs, ribs, chicken wings and mac ‘n’ cheese.
The simulation shooting range, which uses the same technology used by professionals and semi-professionals in the US - will also aim to provide space for conferences, training days and other corporate events, and it also has mobile shooting booths that can be hired for corporate events, weddings and other get-togethers.
The firm said Point Blank aims to deliver a safe, fun and immersive experience in an environment that reflects these values, explaining how the range will feature simulated shooting using state-of-the-art technology from the US, where the systems are used by professionals to train and develop skills in non-live round environments.
A spokesman for the company said: “We have taken this tech and opened it up to novices and enthusiasts alike, offering lifelike immersive shooting scenarios using advanced laser technology giving unparalleled realism.
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“We are aware more than most about the sensitivity about guns in the 海角视频 and so far had had zero criticism of our idea.
“We haven’t ever faced criticism because we have been very fastidious to the detail and paid a great deal of attention to the potential sensitivity of the issues that surround guns. Much like clay pigeon shooting or the many target clubs around the 海角视频 we are purely focused on skill and ability.
“Everything is target based like it would be in a real range, there’s no blood or ‘live’ targets like you would find in 18+ computer games but rather a fun, challenging activity with a twist.”
The Newcastle opening marks a homecoming for the firm’s head of business development and events, Kyle Blythe, who said he was looking forward to bringing something new to the city.
He said: “We situate ourselves a little differently than classing our selves as nightlife and more toward the leisure and activity category.
“The biggest bulk of our clientele in Manchester are from predominantly corporate with the location being next to Spinning Fields, we offer corporate packages as well as leisure packages. Our aim is that we add a diverse offering to an already established and developing scene, with arcades, bowling and mini-golf being more traditional and with the rise of the immersive alternative activity we believe it will be a truly unique experience.
“It’s my home town. Our local knowledge up there is fantastic and we want to develop our brand true to our Northern roots. There are very few concept venues that start in the North and we want to make a statement.”
Point Blank is set to open in February.