Bar 38 manager returns with ideas

For Steve, who left after two happy years at Canary Wharf, it has gone full circle. In May he returned as manager of Bar 38.

"You never go back to where you've been but this was an exception for me," said the Liverpudlian, who has more than 20 years' experience in the industry. "It brings back huge memories. My son was born in that room upstairs. He's nine in November.

"When it opened we already owned Via next door. We were second and then Brown's opened followed by the others. Straight away I could see the potential."

One of Steve's first actions was to persuade British Waterways - the owner of the area at the front of the bar strip - to let him extend the seating area at the front, thus making it the alfresco summer venue of choice in the region.

He said: "As soon as it opened the doors people flocked here. With the bankers we were busy every night.

"Those were the days when companies would come in and put £15-£20,000 bar tabs in."

Various reasons - including one of Steve's rules that you shouldn't stay somewhere longer than three years - meant he left for other bars in London and the south of England.

However, a call from Paul Marsh, a former colleague and now operations manager at Tattershall Castle Group which owns Bar 38, persuaded Steve to return as general manager at the end of May.

The halcyon days of five-figure bar tabs may be over but Steve is positive about the industry.

He said: "People are worried about money but I believe it's starting to come back.

"Reports suggest 50-odd pubs and bars are shutting a week. With price increases and government duties it's getting tougher and tougher to hold your head above water but there's still business there if you get everything right. I always say standard plus service equals sales."

The bar has the backing of the company as well, with operations manager Paul insisting
TCG has plans for "substantial investment in the new financial year" and Bar 38 and its sister bar Via high on the list for a share.

Aside from that boost, Steve has added some changes in his first few weeks back in charge and has plans for more.

He said: "Bookings are looking good. We'll get a lot more going. We've got live music on Wednesdays which we used to do in the old days and it still goes down well.

"I've got ideas about which I'm still in talks. One of them is that this site should have a fish menu. Billingsgate is just around the corner and I don't mind getting up at five o'clock in the morning and heading down there to pick up the fish.

"We should have that as an additional menu. We also want sport on the televisions."

For Steve though it's the staff which will make the venue and keep customers coming and he is already getting them more involved with the drinks menu.

He said: "I ran a cocktail competition for staff, who made two each. We got it down to six cocktails and it's what the staff thought the customers would want.

"We say we should be best in cocktails and I've looked all over Canary Wharf and I'm sure we are the best.

"It's always important to get the staff's view. They are in the know, they're young and they know what works and what doesn't.

"It's the team which makes the place. The manager makes sure everything runs smoothly but it's the staff who make the bar."