Built in 1901 as a concert hall, the Victoria Theatre retains many of its original features. Today the theatre is used for a wide range of events with an exciting and varied programme. With raked seating on every level and 1,512 seats over 3 levels or 1,875 for a standing gig, the theatre accommodates intimate plays and children’s shows as well as bands and live music.

The Government’s Future High Street Fund is supporting this iconic Grade II listed theatre, improving accessibility and the creation of a new food and beverage offer. Halifax Future High Street focuses on the idea of ‘Connecting Halifax: Making physical changes to better connect different parts of the town and creating the conditions for people in the local community to connect with each other’.

As catering advisors, Montfort Catering Consultants supported Victoria Theatre with a café bar scoping exercise for a new café bar operation.

Halifax town centre already has a strong mix of interesting places to eat and drink and it was important to ensure that the future hospitality offer would be complementary and commercial sustainable.

The foyer is currently being upgraded to include the brand-new bar and café, which will:

• Enhance Halifax town centre and aim to increase the number of visitors.
• Enhance Victoria Theatre’s daytime offer and provide theatregoers with the opportunity for pre-theatre dining.
• Create a great destination for people to come together to enjoy food, drink and much more.
• Enhance the experience of visitors to Victoria Theatre.
• Provide opportunities to hold small and intimate performances.

Our theatre hospitality consultancy support and advice included:

• Defining future food and beverage objectives.
• Analysis and identification of audience and non-audience café bar demand.
• Environmental market analysis and identification of market gap opportunities.
• Café bar financial modelling.
• Development of demand model and café bar business plan.
• Menu development.
• Theatre café bar conceptual appraisal and recommendations.
• Café bar recommendations & report.