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The City Bar: Inside well-known Derby city centre bar renamed J.J. Lloyds

The City Bar: Inside well-known Derby city centre bar renamed J.J. Lloyds

A well-known Derby city centre bar has been given a new name following the completion of a six-month revamp. The City Bar, located opposite the Derby Market Hall and next to the Corn Exchange in Albert Street, has become J.J. Lloyds.

The exterior has been given a fresh lick of grey paint, with new signage reading “J.J. Lloyds est. 1975” installed. The date signifies the birth year of owner Matthew Garlick, who fully took over in December 2019, just four months before the Covid pandemic began.

Lloyd was the surname of his grandfather, James. Matt, who was previously a pub and club DJ for 27 years, says having to close for lockdown so soon after taking ownership of his first venue was “really tough”.

Noting the bar’s chequered history, Matt says he is keen to put the past behind the prominent venue and says this influenced his decision to rename it. The 47-year-old said: “Taking on The City Bar at the time knowing its history as a bar with a bad reputation was a real challenge. The name was changed due to this reason and wanting to put a personal stamp on it.”

READ MORE: When former landlady of The City Bar quit after 11 years

Matt’s goal is to create an “enjoyable party environment” at J.J. Lloyds with regular disco and karaoke nights. It also shows live sports from Sky Sports and BT Sport on various screens, with a big screen set up for the biggest football matches, such as when England play.

Explaining why he decided to leave his DJ career behind to take on the bar, Matt said: “I decided some time ago to start learning the ropes behind the scenes of the pub industry and then take on a bar of my own. Our customer base continues to grow very well and we cater for all with disco and karaoke, free pool on Tuesdays, with special offers running through the whole of the week including weekends.

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  • June 22, 2023