COMING SOON: A ’90s Blockbuster-themed cocktail bar is opening in Manchester

The Northern Quarter will soon be welcoming a cocktail bar dedicated entirely to the wonderfully nostalgic Blockbuster. 

Now, the blue and yellow emblazoned film rental shop played a huge role in the childhoods of all those born in the ’90s and ’00s; to this very day, there’s nothing quite as exciting as trailing up and down the rows of VHS’ and DVDs ahead of the family film night.

And, while we’re spoiled for choice these days thanks to streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, they simply haven’t matched that nostalgic Blockbuster feeling.

@richard_gottfried / Instagram

Sadly, it was these streaming services that saw the permanent closure of Blockbuster, with the last one in Manchester’s Fallowfield closing for good in 2013. 

But the Northern Quarter might just have the next best thing; a cocktail bar themed around the retro film rental shop. As I said, it’s literally the next best thing.

It’s early days and not much is known about Blockbusters NQ just yet, but what we do know is that it’s taken over the old Tony & Guy unit down Oldham Street and transformed it into the nostalgic cocktail bar of our dreams. 

@richard_gottfried / Instagram

The finer details surrounding what exactly this bar will be offering are yet to be disclosed but, considering it is coming from the people behind South African restaurant Chakalaka, we can expect some seriously good stuff.

Will there be popcorn? Will retro films be played on a loop? Will cocktails be served in empty VHS cassettes? The possibilities are endless. 

Blockbusters NQ is expected to be opening at some point in the new year, so make sure to follow them on Instagram for news and updates.