Bradford bar Sally Brown's expands with Pearl’s Café

Pearl’s Café is coming to Sally Brown's Bar & Venue on North Parade in the business’ next chapter.  

Owner Steve Davis will be cooking up a mix of savoury and sweet dishes inspired by his days as a street food chef.

Named after The Specials’ legendary ska song, the menu features anything from tiger prawn curry, burgers and vegan macaroni cheese to classic British breakfasts and knickerbocker glories.  

Signs for Pearl's Cafe and 70s decor at Sally Brown's Bar and Venue, Bradford (Image: Newsquest)

But as night falls, the retro-style bar will return to its regular programming of gigs and alcoholic drinks.

The new venture is one of Steve’s many ideas to attract more customers and diversify Sally Brown’s offering.

He hopes to launch the new subscription-based ‘Sally Brown’s Club’ – offering discounts and chances to win free tickets to gigs.

Mr Davis told the Telegraph & Argus: “We needed to encourage more footfall, we currently only open on weekends. We did try Thursdays and Sundays but being just a bar with the products we have available currently it was not sustainable.

Steve Davis, owner of Sally Brown's on North Parade, plays a record by The Specials which features the Pearl's Cafe track (Image: Newsquest)

“As long as we’re something a bit different, keep our prices reasonable, it will give us opportunity to open more days which is exactly what we want to do.

“In the words of Terry Hall, Sally Brown’s is the in place to be.”

Describing his vision for Sally Brown’s, he said: “It’s the music, the vibes, the people. Some of the bands we’re bringing in have been playing in Bradford for 30 years, members of the Specials here who have had smash hits and we’re only a small venue, but I don’t think there’s many places you can get up close and personal to some of the artists we have here.

Bradford City memorabilia at the bar (Image: Newsquest)

“We are a niche but we don’t just have ska, reggae, northern soul. We’re going down the routes of a proper grassroots music venue.

“We want to create a space for upcoming new musicians, new local bands and artists, and give them a place to play.

"Being a new band it’s difficult to encourage new crowds. 30 people in this room is a vibe straight away, you’re going to have a good time.”

Pearl’s Café will launch on December 1 and open six days a week.

Inside Sally Brown's on North Parade (Image: Newsquest)Sally Brown’s was saved at the eleventh hour after a successful last-minute crowdfunder and farewell event.

In early October, Mr Davis announced the bar’s closure with “immediate effect”.

Speaking at the time, Mr Davis said: “Your generous donations and kind hearted messages have really given us the fuel we needed to keep the fire burning.

“We’re not out of the woods yet, we need continued support to secure our future."

Retro vibes at Sally Brown's on North Parade (Image: Newsquest)He added: "The money that we’ve raised via the crowdfunder and last weekend’s ‘Final Skank’ has meant that we are now in a position to action one of our plans. This will enable us to increase our opening hours and become a more sustainable business."

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