A former Northampton movie theater that was recently used as illegal cannabis cultivation has been converted into a cocktail bar and restaurant.
Electric Pavilion, at 10 Gold Street, opened earlier this month (December) and prides itself on high quality food and drink, as well as investing in young people in the city.
Owner Paul Kuznecovs said, “As great supporters of our incredible city, we are honored to have the opportunity to nurture our food and drink scene and to play a key role in promoting great local products and helping our community.
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Paul (center) and Arturs (second from left)
“With a simple but well-executed menu that is always prepared, prepared and served in-house, and a delicious cocktail menu, we are sure that you will enjoy your time here.
“We have wonderfully tasting dishes, thirst-quenching cocktails in an atmosphere in which you feel relaxed and at ease.”
The property was used for illegal cannabis cultivation at the height of the pandemic last year.
Paul, who owns the building, stumbled upon the criminals during a routine inspection of the property and said the inside of the venue was “completely destroyed”.
“I was devastated, that was the last thing I had to deal with. The damage was estimated at over £ 150,000, what a nightmare, “he said.
After trying unsuccessfully to rent the property for a year and a half, Paul considered opening the bar.
“Why not – it made perfect sense. It used to be a restaurant. If there is a will, there is always a way, ”he said.
But he felt he was missing something and decided to reach out to his 27-year-old brother and Northamptonshire’s Best Young Chef 2018/2019 winner Arturs Dzerins.
Arturs added, “Paul’s proposal to have a restaurant and cocktail bar together made perfect sense. Instead of working for someone else, I felt like I could bring all of my passion for making quality food to my own business. The dream was sold.
“I’ve always been passionate about good food, which is why I attended Northampton College and graduated as a chef. I also vividly remember when I was a child my brother cooked me fish soup, which I liked very much. “
Over the next few months, the company plans to work with Northampton College to provide young people with hands-on experience in the industry.
The overall goal of Paul and Arturs is to create up to 20 job openings, create an environment where customer satisfaction is a top priority, and develop people to do “great” in the hospitality industry.
The brothers added, “We would like to express our sincere thanks to all of our dedicated and hardworking employees who went out of their way to open our doors, our suppliers and the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership for their financial support.
“We invite the general public to come and see what we have achieved.”
The Electric Pavilion is open Wednesday through Saturday from 7.30 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sundays from 9.30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Electric Pavilion originally opened as a shop in April 1910 and was later converted into a cinema.