In Victorian times, the streets of King’s Cross were among the most crowded – and notorious – in London. Gangs of pickpockets roamed the alleys and drinking dens near the newly opened railway station, preying on travellers and passers-by, relieving them of their wallets and valuables.
How times change. Today, the neighbourhood has become one of the most fashionable areas of the city, with new bars and restaurants popping up on every street corner. The Racketeer is one such venue, a stylish cocktail bar on King’s Cross Road. Opened by friends Marco Torre, Tyvian Vigrass and Jack Foxcroft in June 2017, the space retains many traces of its origins as a Victorian working men’s pub. And its name is a nod to the local thieves, such as the Saffron Hill Mob, who used to create a noisy distraction before robbing punters blind.
Amaia Diaz regularly drops in for drinks after work. “This place feels like our home, our living room,” she says. Both Diaz and her friend Nicolas Leguina work for an architectural studio nearby and were first introduced to the bar when the office started to host regular work drinks there.
“We tend to come here most Fridays, lots of us from the office,” says Diaz. “Then we became very close to the guys who run it and started dropping in during the week as well. We even celebrated our Christmas party here. It’s more like a family business. They’re really close and welcoming and they know all our names.”
“It’s our local,” adds Leguina. “We used to go another place up the road, but then someone at work noticed that this new bar had opened, so we gave it a go. And it’s really nice, the service is great, and the people are really friendly.”
Alongside stylish new decor, the Racketeer retains many traces of its origins as a Victorian working men’s pub; an iZettle card reader
Creating a place where locals felt welcome was always the intention explains Torre, one of the Racketeer’s owners. “There’s a very strong community around here,” he says. “This used to be a bit of an old man’s pub, and when we took it over a lot of people locally were curious about what we were doing and whether it was going to be for them. When we opened the doors, they quickly saw that we wanted them to come in. We’ve got people who used to come when it was a pub who still come in every day. There’s a real mix of regulars – people living nearby, those working locally and, at the weekends, more and more who book ahead and travel to come here.”
The three founders of the business are very experienced in the hospitality field, having run various bars and nightclubs across the capital for years. When they clubbed together to set up on their own two years ago, they knew that speed of service was a vital element to the success of the bar. The best option appeared to be using low-cost card readers from iZettle.
Gin palace: the Racketeer’s extensive selection of fine spirits
“We thought about getting a more traditional payment system, but even chip and pin would affect speed of service,” Torre says. “We used iZettle right from the beginning. It was competitively priced, and then we realised how simple it was to use. When you’re opening a new business, there are so many things to think about. Having something that’s easy to learn, simple for staff to use and fast for customers – particularly in a busy bar – is great.”
Mark Stewart is a chef who also works in the area. He often pops in for a pint on his way to the station after finishing his shift. He says: “I’ve worked in hospitality all my life and I’ve managed my own bar in the past, so I know what goes on behind the scenes. Opening a business like this isn’t easy.
‘I painted these walls, I polished this floor’ – Marco Torre, co-founder and co-owner
“The thing I like about this place is the venue itself, which has a lot of character, but also it’s a good place to come and socialise with people or stop in on your own for a quick drink. The guys are very passionate about what they’re doing and it shows. The service is really good, the team has a lot of experience, they create a great atmosphere and the staff are really nice. Even though they do great cocktails, the crowd you get here can be normal workers, too. What it means is that it’s not an exclusive place, it’s just very welcoming.”
For Torre, running the business is a labour of love. “You go to work for someone else and put in lots of hours and, of course, you can be passionate about your job. But this bar is part of my life, it’s part of my family. Working here is never a burden. You don’t just come in and put in the hours. I painted these walls, I polished this floor – the three of us did all of it from scratch. And it’s incredibly rewarding.”
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