The official Grand Opening of the new Purple Rain bar and restaurant in Southport takes place tonight! (Friday 20th June 2023).
Visitors can expect live music, bands, two DJs and a party atmosphere, all welcome.
The new restaurant and bar is situated inside the former Forge restaurant on Queen Anne Street, just off Eastbank Street, and to the back of Southport Market.
It is owned by Bernard Stapleton and Natalie Wilson, who previously ran a series of successful restaurants and bars in Spain.
They currently run the thriving Marina Bar and Grill at the Yacht Club in Liverpool.
They wanted to open somewhere that was welcoming and diverse, where people can be who they want to be.
The food menu is already proving popular with diners with a selection of tapas dishes, meat, fish, salads, and desserts.
Dishes include the likes of Gambas Pil Pil, Patatas Bravas and Calamari, Chorizo, to Pan Fried Sea Bass with Prawn and Chive Risotto, Surf & Turf, Vietnamese Summer Rolls, Black Bean Sliders and more.
Bernard said: “We initially wanted to open a Cuban / Latino tapas bar.
“But when we came to have a really good look around Southport, we didn’t really see a great need for it.
“What we did notice was lots of very quirky, individual people walking around town. We wondered – where can they go to be who they want to be, that’s friendly, inclusive and welcoming?
“I didn’t see anywhere offering somewhere where diverse people could go and express themselves.
“The Purple Rain name was inspired by the glam rock era of the 1970s, where stars like Marc Bolan and Freddie Mercury led the way in allowing people to go out and express themselves and who they wanted to be.
“We are very welcoming to everyone in the LGBTQ+ community and to anyone else.
“We want people to be treated as people. Nobody in society is any better than anyone else. Everyone should be treated fairly.
“Purple Rain is open to everyone. We are very family friendly. We are open during the day for people to come and have something to eat, to enjoy some of our small plates of fusion inspired food.
“We are open during evenings too when we become more of a bar, and are staging some different themed evenings.
“We are hosting Northern Soul nights, live music nights, stand up comedy, drag shows and drag comedy. Sundays have a more relaxed, family sort of vibe with the likes of rhythm and blues, jazz, Motown and Elvis.
“We are looking forward to evolving these as time goes on, depending on what people want.
“Business is a bit like throwing a pot of water onto the ground. It will eventually find its own level.
“People will be able to enjoy some superb live entertainment at Purple Rain.”
A huge amount of time and effort has gone into creating the venue.
Bernard said: “We are still putting the finishing touches to the venue.
“It is a beautiful building. We initially looked at another property in the seafront area but decided it wasn’t for us.
“But as we walked in here we knew it was perfect for what we wanted. We just fell in love with the place.
“It has taken a lot of work to get everything ready! The site had been empty for years, and wasn’t in a great condition. The plumbing had ceased. The flooring had rotted. It was a nightmare. It has taken a lot of effort to bring a derelict building back into use as a local business.
“We have had to rip out and install new flooring, we have taken out the staff changing areas that were upstairs, we have reconfigured the bar and kitchen area on the ground floor and we have installed lots of new features.
“We have kept the old Forge pews that were downstairs. We now have an old fashioned style jukebox so people can choose the music they listen to.
“We have beautiful Versace wallpaper across one wall downstairs – there’s nothing else quite like it in Southport!
“We are here to do nice food, freshly cooked, reasonably priced. We will have a zero tolerance policy on drugs.
“We will be open from 11am each day, open until 11pm Sunday to Thursday, and up to 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.”
Natalie said: “The first floor is a great area, which allows us to put on all kinds of things.
“During the day it is a great space for co-working, where people can come in with their laptop and work in a nice, bright quiet space, with no charge.
“We’ll provide water for free, but people can buy coffee or food if they want to.
“It’s a great space for events. We can host motivational speakers, parties, networking events, and customers can host meetings.
“It is a pace that everyone will be able to use and enjoy.”
Bernard and Natalie have swapped a life by the seaside in sunny Spain for a life by the seaside in sunny Southport.
Bernard said: “Natalie and I have worked together for the past 13 years. We lived in Spain, where we ran a number of successful bars and restaurants.
“We had seven venues in Spain, which included a steakhouse, an American bar, a Celtic bar, and others. They were all food-led. We had a little cafe as well.
“We were fortunate in deciding to sell and move on in 2017, not long before the Covid pandemic hit.
“After that we returned to the UK and operated in Brighton and in Devon, before coming here.
“Natalie is originally from Liverpool, and her father lives in Southport.
“We have become involved in the Victory Outreach programme in Liverpool, which gives new opportunities to people who have been struggling in life.
“I am a Cancerian by birth so I love being near the sea! I love Southport, it’s a beautiful place to be. We are really happy to be opening a new business here.
“We already run the Marina Bar and Grill at the Liverpool Yacht Club which has been a huge success for us.
“We are looking forward to making our mark in Southport.”
- Purple Rain is on Queen Anne Street in Southport town centre. Call 01704490229 or email: purplerainsouthport@ouitlook.com
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