Full steam ahead for Leeds bar revamp

The Head of Steam, on North Lane, is over the next 10 days being fitted out with ‘retro’ arcade games, beer-pong shuffleboard, a pool table and electronic darts in the upstairs section of the building which was the pub’s restaurant area.

The downstairs bar is open as normal while the works are taking place.

There will also be a new food menu which will cover all bases with pizzas, burgers and also a full-on vegan menu with one of the most popular vegan dishes around - the The Moving Mountains® Burger.

A graffiti artist is being hired to work on the decor too, going for a nostalgic theme.

There are around 14 Head of Steam pubs around the country and making one of them a gaming bar is a first for the team behind it as they are usually known for being serious ale and beer pubs.

David Scott, head of managed estates for Cameron’s Brewery, told City Buzz: “It is completely off-standard. We have never done it before but we have asked our staff to come back with ideas and we have spoken to customers and this keeps coming back. Within the industry, (Headingley) seems to be the biggest growth area. Leeds city centre has a lot of competitors, such as Roxy. We thought we had a fantastic space at Headingley and our demographic fits perfectly with (a gaming bar) - people in their 30s to 40s, students and workers - so we thought we would turn it into that.”

The revamp will be finished on January 31 in time for the first weekend out after pay day. A launch party is on February 1.