Dear valued customers and supporters,
We are thrilled to announce that Smoke and Soul have officially taken over the bar at Six Degrees North. After a successful 4 year kitchen residency, we have decided to make this our permanent home, and we couldn't be more excited about the future.
That being said…this comes at a time of uncertainty for the hospitality industry as a whole. We have seen with our own eyes the impact that the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis has had on independent businesses across the city. Aberdeen city centre used to be a bustling and vibrant place, with crowds of people day and night. Shops, cafes, and restaurants were brimming with customers.
It's disheartening to see so many of our neighbours closing due to financial struggles. Foot traffic has dwindled, and the streets are noticeably quieter than they used to be and with Six Degrees North looking to exit the bar post pandemic, this understandably, had a profound impact on us at Smoke and Soul. We discussed the possibility of another kitchen residency elsewhere, but this bar has become our home and the staff and customers have become our family. While moving may have been a safer option, we couldn’t bear to see those doors we know close.
Robert Lindsay, Managing Director at Six Degrees North said, “I am excited to see what Smoke and Soul will achieve at the bar in Little John Street. I am very pleased to continue supplying Six Degrees North beer as part of their draught line up”.
Taking over the bar is an exciting opportunity, but it also comes with its own set of challenges. Our goal is to create a comfortable and enjoyable place for our customers to eat, drink, and relax. We want to put our own unique stamp on the bar and infuse it with the kind of soulful atmosphere that we achieved at our HQ. However, to accomplish this, some work needs to be done. We need to make some renovations and upgrades to create the kind of ambiance we have in mind and we know people will love.
To fund these changes, we will be launching a crowd-funder campaign in the coming weeks. We want to involve our customers and the community in our vision for this bar, and we believe that crowd-funding is the perfect way to do that. It's a way for us to raise the funds we need while also giving something worthwhile back to our supporters. Investing in our crowdfunding campaign means supporting a small business that is committed to using locally-sourced ingredients, offering unique and delicious food and drink options, and providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all.
With your help, we can continue to innovate and grow, bringing new and exciting experiences to our community. By reviving our bar and creating a welcoming and vibrant space for customers to come, we hope to bring foot traffic back to the city centre and support other local businesses too.
Lindsay Jackson, owner at Smoke and Soul said, ‘We couldn’t allow the bar to become another empty place in Aberdeen. Not the place we have made so many memories and grown into what we are today or to see the staff we have worked alongside for years lose their jobs . We are aware there is a lot of work to be done in the bar but we know with support we can do it! We're looking into crowdfunders at present to see how we can make the changes that have been long overdue and requested by our customers, to fulfil the venue’s full potential and provide an awesome place for people to come drink, eat and enjoy our exclusive events. We will also be introducing our first ever lunch menu in the coming weeks and the bar staff are working on a cocktail offering. We will strive to make the bar everything that our customers want it to be and ensure that those that invest in us get some amazing rewards in return’.
Thank you, from all the staff at Smoke and Soul, for your continued support in what has been a very challenging few years for everyone. We really appreciate your custom and please continue to order from us - even better by dining with us in person at our new bar!