Growth Hub Helps The Empire To March On

Phil Rooney has a background in media and live music but also operates The Establishment Bar & Grill in Coventry city centre.

Phil wanted to move back into the live music arena but felt The Establishment wasn’t the right vehicle for that. He began to look for opportunities in the city and when one potential venue fell through, he saw an article in a newspaper regarding the former cinema in Far Gosford Street. He felt it was the right place for his new venture and after taking over the lease from Coventry University Students Union, the plan was originally to spend around £10,000 and operate it as a nightclub.

But when he showed the venue to fellow director David Macdonald and Rich Taylor – tour manager of Coventry band The Enemy – he said there was strong potential to make it a truly outstanding live music venue that would be on a par with some of the best that other big cities such as Birmingham and Bristol had to offer. Tom Clarke, The Enemy’s singer, guitarist and songwriter, came on board and the wheels were in motion to create The Empire.

The Plan
At Tom’s insistence, The Empire had to be the very best and he refused to cut corners. He said: “I know what bands are looking for and they want the best. They want to be able to come in and use the best
equipment, the best technology and they want a stage setting that they can make their own rather than having to compromise.

“I believed if we could offer that, we could put Coventry on the map with touring bands looking for venues that hold around 1,000 people.” But with that commitment to quality meant a requirement for further investment to help get the venture off the ground. Phil was introduced to Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub account manager Jeremy Moore by Coventry City Council and he could immediately see the potential for the business.

The Results

As a result of Jeremy’s support, The Empire levered in £50,000 worth of finance to help pay for the development of the building as well as the high-tech lighting and sound equipment. That included a £25,000 loan from the Start-Up Loan Company and a further £25,000 from the Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust. Jeremy has also offered further advice and assistance but said he was impressed with the business planning already undertaken by the team behind The Empire.

“They are going about it in the right way,” he said. The Empire, which has created 21 jobs and has utilised local suppliers, is now open, trading successfully and The Enemy has included the venue on their latest tour. Tom is also receiving positive feedback from other bands and tour managers about bringing other big names to the city.

Phil Rooney, “We really feel we are bringing something exciting to the city that will make a huge impact on our ability to stage live music.

Jeremy Moore, “In any business, if you choose to invest in the right technology, the right people and customer experience, you give yourself the best opportunity for success.”

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Client testimonials

Without the Growth Hubs help and assistance, we would never have been able to increase our sales & output and also grow our local business. With this help in purchasing new equipment we have expanded our operations and gained a new and increased customer base.

Nuneaton Roof Truss,

Over the past few years, Armstrongs has built up a fantastic relationship with Gary Thyeson from the Growth Hub. His advice on grants and funding has been really valuable to both Armstrongs and some of our clients. His knowledge of local business support has been helpful in signposting us to relevant support agencies as required. We look forward to working with Laura Delahunty moving forwards.

Armstrongs Accountancy LTD,

In the short time since first engaging with the Warwickshire Growth Hub we feel that Laura has understood our vision and has been so very supportive in linking us to the specialist teams who are now supporting us with training, finance and recruitment. A great service that every growing organisation should connect with

MES Systems Limited,

I have had an excellent experience working with Laura from the Growth Hub, from day one, she was taking detailed attention to my concerns and ideas. She was able to put me in contact with different organisations and people to find out answers to my questions and help me to solve some inquiries I was having. I feel this support definitely had a positive impact in my plans.

PALACIOS LTD,

It’s been a fantastic inaugural eight months for the TalentTech Recruitment team and, although the reality of setting up and running a company can be a somewhat daunting experience, we have been extremely grateful for the superb help, advice and guidance given to us along our journey by Gavin Barnett and the team at CW Growth Hub. Gavin’s introductions to both Warwick & Coventry Universities and his wider business network have been absolutely invaluable.

TalentTech Recruitment LTD,

For many individuals out there, it is very hard to figure out ways and know which direction to go when it comes to setting up a business. The challenges of taking your idea and bringing it to life and not knowing where to go and who to speak to for advice. it can get very frustrating..

King of Saffron LTD,

This grant [which we received with the help of the Growth Hub and Coventry City Council] will really help us get on track for business growth and succeed with our vision. Personally, I would also like to thank the team for supporting me through the grant application process. You have been very approachable and attentive throughout.

Exeter Analytical (UK) Limited,

Thank you for the comprehensive and professional guidance

Burbidge & Son Ltd,

Over the years since the Growth Hub was set up we have habitually gone to our Account Manager as a one-stop shop for all business-related information. It has been a really convenient way of finding suppliers, advisors and, on one occasion, we even asked for assistance with finding customers. We are invited to a wide range of business events including business development workshops, Brexit roundtable discussions, seminars on various topics and have also been asked to speak at some events. When we have needed additional information, for example, finding finance sources or help with selecti

Marchantcain Design Limited,

Thanks to CW Growth hub getting us access to grant funding we have been able to invest in the latest computer monitoring system, which will enable us to compete with the national companies within our industry.

Comrie Leisure Limited,