A new retro bar is to open in Newport tomorrow in place of a popular restaurant which closed due to the impact of the pandemic.
Rewind Retro Bar will open at 16 High Street on Friday, August 27, in place of what was Falafilo Island - which closed in April.
Manager Rob Steed, who also runs The Lamb and Maindee Hotel in the city, said he can’t wait to get going with another new venture.
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“I thought hard about it after the landlord offered it to me a while back, and last month I decided to go for it,” Rob explained. “We wanted to be ready in time for the bank holiday weekend, and we’re looking forward to it.”
Rob said the bar will be a place to have a party and listen to “cheesy music” with friends, which he believes is missing in the city.
Rewind, which is next door to Le Pub, will be open Wednesday to Saturdays from 5pm until 3am, but will open this weekend on Sunday too.
“Soon we plan to do karaoke nights on Wednesdays and Thursdays,” Rob explained. “I envisage it being like going back to old school, with an eighties and nineties party vibe.
“We’re confident it will do well. I’ve noticed since restrictions lifted my pubs have done well. Lots of people are out and about, and the town is busy again. People aren’t scared of going out anymore.”
Rob added he’d taken out a “lengthy deal” on the property, which he said he hoped to take on for a long time.
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Earlier this year Oskar Ali announced he would be closing his Lebanese restaurant at the site due to pressures of the pandemic, and siting issues around pedestrianisation of the high street impacting deliveries.
"Falafilo Island is closing down as we're not able to open again because this pandemic hit us so hard," a post on the Falafilo Island Facebook page read.
"It is [sic] been very nice to serve all of our lovely customers and we made great memories in building Falafilo Island.
"But now it is the time to say goodbye and best of luck and wish all the best for our team who used to work very hard.”
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