Five Stars for Four Quarters
Newcastle bar is bucking a worrying trend when it comes to new bars.
Last updated 16th Jul 2023
A Newcastle bar is bucking the trend of closures around the country.....and doing it in style.
Four Quarters, on Dean Street, has nothing but 5 star ratings on TripAdvisor.
A new report says some parts of Britain have seen as many as 69 local pubs close their doors in the past two years, a situation that could be made even worse when the freeze on alcohol tax ends on 1st August.
To understand how the recent years of economic turmoil in Britain has impacted the pub industry, RIFT has analysed the changing number of outlets up and down the country between 2020 and 2022.
So what makes Four Quarters, which opened in November, make punters so happy and come back in their droves?
We've been speaking to Whitley Bay Co-Founder Francois Kitching:
What makes Four Quarters so different to other bars in Newcastle?
"Four Quarters is the UK’s original arcade bar and we pride ourselves on authenticity and quality. One of our founders grew up in the area and the main inspiration for the concept was a well spent 90’s youth in the arcades of the Spanish City.
It’s a combination of things that set us apart. High quality cocktails, extensive locally sourced craft beer with mainstream options and stone baked pizza served all night. This alongside classic games consoles like the Nintendo 64, pinball machines and vintage arcade games makes for a bar with a lot to offer. Our games are all completely original with no emulation and you can book booth areas with built in consoles for a party. We cater for everything from dates to 200+ parties and have even hosted a gaming themed wedding reception in the past. Local hero Sam Fender held his Brit awards after party at our original site in Peckham last year.
We’re a city centre location, in the basement of a beautiful, listed building at 54 Dean Street, but it’s a totally relaxed vibe. You can book if you want something specific and we’d encourage it, but you can also always just walk in. We’re a bar and you don’t even have to play the games to enjoy the nostalgic vibe that the venue has to offer, whilst sipping some of the best cocktails in Newcastle. That’s a bold claim, but we stand by it.
We also host a variety of interesting, interactive events across the year - cult film screenings, WWE watch parties, games competitions and themed events – watch our socials for news of our upcoming Halloween special and if you’re into hot sauce then you need to check out our spicy quiz.
We love to be part of the local community and recently popped up at local art collective event Nowt Special, setting them up in some retro gaming areas and we hosted the afterparty for the north’s biggest retro gaming event, NERG.
There’s nothing but 5 Star ratings for Four Quarters on TripAdvisor and lots of amazing praise on social media – how important is customer satisfaction?
"Customer experience is at the heart of everything we do and people seem to appreciate it! We’ve had nothing but compliments for the quality drinks and the interesting nature of the space as well as the games selection. We’re still very new to the area and a large percentage of people are visiting for the first time or have just walked in not knowing what to expect. We love it when people get that surprise and are wowed. Personally, I’ve never lost the buzz from seeing people have a great time with the old games as they were meant to be played, in a social setting, with a great drink. This is what drives us."
There’s yearly reports now about the number of bars and pubs closing around the UK – what makes Four Quarters so successful and buck that worrying trend.
"It comes back to the customer experience, in times when people have less money, perceived value is driven to the customer by giving them the best of what we are. So that’s quality and authenticity, along with friendly service and the option to just come play a couple of games and not spend too much, or have a blow out if you’re feeling flush.
We have something on offer for everyone at varying price points. We’re never going to compete with a very cheap pub as we have lots of associated costs, but for the Four Quarters customer, the value is in more than just getting a cheap drink. It’s an experience but not a forced one, like say going to play mini golf. It’s going to that casual spot where you can keep coming back and do more than drink. Be part of the growing community if you choose. This customer focus is seeing us through the undoubtedly challenging economic climate."
For more information on Four Quarters, click here.