A high street bar and restaurant has changed hands – with the new owners promising a Mexican flair once rebranding is complete.
Bloom Stone, which opened in Stone in September 2021, has been sold for an undisclosed sum to business partners Ryan Fanthorpe and Pete Terry of Breakthrough Bars.
The pair have worked together in the hospitality industry for 10 years on and off, but the High Street venue will be the first Ryan has owned.
Taking over the running with immediate effect, they have renamed the venue Blame Frida and it will be relaunched officially in time for the August Bank Holiday weekend.
The bar and restaurant remains open ahead of the relaunch, with the team continuing to offer a full menu focusing on classic small plates and chef specials, with a DJ every Friday and Saturday.
Some cosmetic work will be undertaken, with the new-look place taking inspiration from Mexico’s most famed artist Frida Khalo.
All of Bloom Stone’s four members of staff have been kept on, with three to four new roles set to be created.
Ryan, who has spent all his working life in the industry and currently runs nine bars restaurants and nightclubs for another company, said: “I’ve been in the industry since I was 18, so I feel like I’ve been training for this for a long time.
“Bloom Stone did a good job but we will be making some tweaks to take the venue into the direction I have envisaged in my head.
“We want to hit the ground running with the business, some things will work and others won’t work as well but we are determined to make this site a staple within Stone’s community.”
Pete, who is also CEO of Disco Bowl, owners of the largest bowling centre in Europe, said: “We want to continue what Jack and Ian have done here, but evolve it into something of our own.
“We’ll be investing heavily into the site on the buildup to relaunching on August Bank Holiday.”
Previous owners Jack Hardy and Ian Orton have said the sale of Stone does not affect trading at either of their two other Bloom bars in North Staffordshire.
A statement said: “Please be absolutely assured the sale of Stone does not affect trading at either Bloom Hanley or Bloom Newcastle – it’s very much business as usual, and we are completely committed to trading in those locations.
“A massive thank you to everyone who has visited us in Stone, and to the team there who will all be transferred over to the new company.
“May we take this opportunity to wish Breakthrough Bars a long, successful future in Stone.
- Anyone interested in a job at Blame Frida should email [email protected]
- All previous bookings with Bloom Stone will be honoured and contacted before their booking.
