A family has worked hard to open a cocktail bar while contending with a pandemic and a cost of living crisis.
When Michael Coupe set about realising his dream of opening a 1920-30s themed bar, it was only natural for him to open it in his beloved home town of Barnoldswick.
Michael and his family have been working hard to open Tiffany’s and finally achieved their dream last November.
Michael bought the building more than 10 years ago and renovated the site next door to operate a second business to gain an income.
The family then moved their concentration to the cocktail bar about six years ago.
Since starting work, the family has contended with the pandemic and now a cost-of-living crisis, each having their own impact on opening the business.
Michael’s son-in-law, Howard Green, helps with marketing the business and said that it has been hard.
He said: “It is difficult getting a business off the ground at any time, let alone during a cost of living crisis.
“The plan was to open last summer but various difficulties arose and things you don’t expect to happen.”
Michael and his family completed the renovations themselves due to Michael’s training as a builder, meaning it has taken them some time alongside their normal day jobs to get the business ready to open.
Now, 14 years after buying the site, it has opened and Howard said that locals have been supportive of a new business opening in their town.
He added: “The locals have responded well, we have a few bars and little pubs in Barnoldswick and there is a nice community spirit.
“We have some locals and people come in and tell us it's like having a cocktail in Leeds.
“We use fresh ingredients like they do in city centre cocktail bars.”
Howard said that the town has a great number of micro-pubs and restaurants and hopes that Tiffany’s will be a nice addition to the town.
He added: “The Greyhound is a beautiful, recently renovated family-run pub.
“If you’re looking for something to eat, Jac’s does the best cheese board with a fabulous selection of wines.
“The Legion, McCullough’s Irish Bar, and Up Town are all known for their lively music scene, as well as a good pint, and The Barlick Tap is a family-run micropub where they’re passionate about beer.
“These great pubs and bars, along with an assortment of cafés and restaurants, make Barnoldswick one of the best places to experience some legendary Lancashire hospitality, and with the new addition of Tiffany’s, the little town of Barnoldswick has just raised the bar even higher in the hospitality stakes.”
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