Cinema Bar going from 'strength to strength' in St Helens

Taking over Cinema Bar at the bottom of Duke Street in 2019, partners Hannah Mcloughlin and Tom Chisnall have taken the venue from "strength to strength" despite dealing with a global pandemic and cost of living crisis.

With Hannah and Tom's family helping to run the bar, the aim is to create a place that people want to stay in St Helens for and not travel out of town.

The bar was voted as Pub of the Year by Star readers last summer, and the couple has recently taken over the Newsroom bar further down Duke Street to further their goal of keeping people in St Helens.

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Inside the trendy Cinema Bar (Image: St Helens Star)

Tom, who was made redundant as a repair engineer during the pandemic, said: "Things have been really positive for us recently. It's been a bit quieter after a really busy Christmas, but we have had private parties that have kept us ticking over.

"We went out to deliver drinks to customers during the pandemic, and I think that really helped to get our name out more.

"Since then we've gone from strength to strength, and it feels like we're becoming a real destination that people come to for a nice night out, or spend a few hours before heading into town."

Hannah and Tom have been adding to the bar's decor and menu since taking over in 2019 (Image: St Helens Star)

Since taking over the Duke Street bar three and a half years ago, Hannah and Tom have slowly added their own tastes to the bar's trendy decor and premium drinks menu.

The drinks menu is a particular focus of the business, Tom said, where customers can indulge in luxury cocktails, speciality spirits, and international beers.

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Hannah and Tom say the bar is becoming a real destination in St Helens (Image: St Helens Star)

Hannah, who used to work behind the bar at Cinema Bar and various other venues in St Helens, said she has taken the things that work well in these businesses and tried to create a place where people feel welcome and comfortable.

After recently extending their outdoor seating and canopy to cater to more customers during the summer months, the couple are looking forward to a bright future in St Helens.

Cinema Bar is open from Thursdays at 5pm, Fridays at 4pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 3pm.

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Cinema Bar, with its outdoor seating space on Duke Street (Image: St Helens Star)