Shoppers may have noticed that the 18th-century Friary Hotel, which had most recently housed the Popworld nightclub and The Friary, has been fenced off
The building has been boarded up and fenced off(Image: Derby Telegraph)
One of Derby city centre’s most historic and recognisable buildings has been boarded up and closed – but plans reveal a new jazz bar could be on the horizon.
Derby shoppers may have noticed that the 18th-century Friary Hotel, which had most recently housed Popworld nightclub and The Friary, has been fenced off in recent days, with all ground-floor windows boarded up with metal sheets.
Stonegate Group, which ran both Popworld and The Friary, has since confirmed that both businesses have ceased trading as part of the company’s “regular assessment of its estate and operating portfolio”.
“We’d like to thank our guests for their support over the years, as well as our teams for their hard work and commitment,” a spokesperson added.
Now, planning consultants Wakebridge Estates have confirmed that a “long-established Derby operator” has submitted plans to open a new jazz bar at the premises, which they say will be a “vibrant addition to Derby’s nightlife offering”.
There are plans to turn the 1700s building into a jazz bar(Image: Derby Telegraph)
A company called Hospitality & Events LTD has applied for a premises licence for the site, with the aim of playing live and recorded music between 10am and 11.30pm, Monday to Thursday; between 10am and 12.30am on Fridays and Saturdays; and from 10am to 11pm on Sundays.
The company has also applied for an alcohol licence.
The announcement will be good news for businesses in the area, many of which have benefited from the footfall at The Friary, which was known for its midweek student offerings.
Marc O’Dwyer runs O’Dwyers Irish Bar in Friar Gate, and said that despite the “sad” closure of Popworld and The Friary, he hopes it will eventually be turned into another hospitality business.
“There were rumours that it was going to be apartments or something like that, but we’d certainly love it to be another bar or nightclub,” he said.
“It’s sad to see any venue close, especially on Friar Gate when it’s our neighbours. Those two venues would bring so many people to the area, and all the bars and pubs along the street would benefit from it.
“There’s also a lot of nostalgia there for people from back when it was Scream, so it’s important they do something good with it.”
Kerron Miah, owner of The Spice Lounge Indian restaurant, voted by our readers as Derbyshire’s best restaurant last year, added that footfall had dropped in the few weeks since The Friary and Popworld shut.
“They’ve been closed for a few weeks, and since they’ve gone, we’ve seen a sharp drop-off in people along Friar Gate, which does affect the number of customers we see,” said Kerron, who travels to work from Walsall each morning.
Traders hope it will bring heavy footfall back to Friar Gate(Image: Derby Telegraph)
“We also used to see a lot of the staff and people from the two bars come and have a meal with us also, so we really feel for anyone affected by the closure.
“It would be great to see it reopened as another bar. We used to see people queueing around the corner on busy nights and the pavements would be filled with people. To have that taken away would have such a big effect on our business, and the other businesses in the area.”
Paul Keenan, owner of the Hairy Dog, had previously opened The Hound Dog jazz bar in Friar Gate in October 2023, but said that it was “losing money hand over fist” when it closed in July 2024.
But he says he’s “very happy” to hear that someone else is giving it a go, and that a business with “deeper pockets” should be able to make it work.
“I actually looked at the building as a possible new site for the Hairy Dog, particularly because of the big back room that would have been great for live music,” Paul said.
“But I’m all for it. I tried the jazz bar thing in Derby, but it didn’t work. Maybe somebody with deeper pockets might be able to make it there. If it does become a jazz bar, I’ll be there for sure, as long as there is real ale.
“Derby city centre used to be a destination for people, especially when we had all the nightclubs like Pink Coconut and what have you, so anything that brings people to Derby is always welcome.
“People will ask if we’re worried about competition, and we really don’t give a monkey’s.
“I want Derby to do well, and a jazz bar could bring a lot of people to the area if it’s done right, but Popworld and The Friary were immensely popular with students, so you’d hope the new owners tried to get these students back to the area.”
