A TOWN bar has been granted permission to extend its weekend opening hours.
Chambers, on Mulcaster Street, will now close at 2am instead of 1am on Fridays and Saturdays, after the Licensing Assembly approved an application by the venue’s owner, Randalls.
The hospitality business said it hoped to reverse the recent decline in Jersey’s nightlife – which has seen a string of venues closing across town recently, including ROJOs last July and Havana at the end of December.
Randalls managing director Gavin Reid told the Licensing Assembly that there was still strong demand for late-night venues, particularly among younger customers.
“We have seen a market for the younger people, 18 to 24, looking for somewhere to go. By extending these hours, we can fill that market,” he said.
Speaking to the JEP last month, Mr Reid explained that while there were fewer people going out at the start of the week than during the Island’s night-life heyday, there remained high demand towards the weekend.
He said: “I don’t envisage nightclubs opening on Monday or Tuesday nights like they used to, but people want to socialise towards the end of the week and we’ve seen Chambers proving busy up until closing time at 1am.
“We’ve already got the key infrastructure in place in terms of security and equipment, so would hope we’re well placed to make the change once the necessary permission is in place.”
The application was approved unanimously at a St Helier parish assembly and faced no objections from the police.
Mr Reid said he hoped to introduce the new closing time by Easter, adding that the venue planned to book UK bands and DJs to attract customers.
“The industry still has restrictions on Good Friday until we can get the new Licensing Law in place, but after that I’d hope we’d be ready to go,” he said.
Recent closures have left just two nightclub venues operating in St Helier: Vittoria (formerly Mimosa) and The Drift at The Royal Yacht – both of which have a 21-plus entry policy.
