Restaurant revamp brings taste of Spanish sunshine to Mercia Marina
A six-figure investment is set to take a much-loved bar and restaurant at Mercia Marina to new heights at one of the Midlands’ most popular tourist and beauty spots.
Left to right: Ben Wilkinson (head chef) Charlotte Betts (assistant manager) Ian Silverwood (owner) Richard Petitjean (general manager) Amy Petitjean (marketing manager).
The renovation and rebrand costing over £200,000, will see The Boardwalk Bar & Restaurant transformed into Compamigos, from the Spanish ‘compartir con amigos’ or share with friends.
The new name reflects the venue’s transformation into a tapas bar and restaurant, with exciting new dishes especially created for sharing with friends coming to the menu.
Overlooking the peaceful waters of the marina, the restaurant refurbishment began this week and will continue one floor at a time, ensuring they remain open throughout the work for customers to still receive their favourite coffee, teas, cocktails and tapas. The team has scheduled launch parties for the end of November.
Richard Petitjean took over as general manager and, along with his wife Amy, who drives the marketing for the restaurant, has taken the much-loved restaurant from strength to strength
Richard said of the newly named Compamigos: “We’re gearing up for an exciting new chapter for the team and our customers here at Compamigos, as we unveil our transformation and rebrand in the coming days and weeks.
“Amy, Ian and I have spent the last year getting to know our customers and their needs, before we took the decision to transform the Boardwalk Bar & Restaurant into Compamigos, a special place to share with friends.
“Along with our new name and look, we will be launching an incredible menu with mouthwatering tapas dishes created by our very talented head chef Ben Wilkinson.
“Compamigos is a name which truly reflects our essence, inspired by the Spanish phrase meaning ‘to share with friends’. That’s how we want people to feel when they visit – that they can get lost in time, sharing great dishes with friends and family in a vibrant, warm and cosy ambience.
“Mercia Marina is the ideal spot for this, with beautiful views over the water. In fact, with a little sunshine and our delicious tapas, it would be easy to imagine yourself in continental Europe!”
Mercia Marina is home to around 630 boats, making it the largest inland marina in Europe.
Robert Neff, general manager at Mercia Marina, said: “It’s wonderful to see the team take the bar and restaurant here to its full potential, creating an experience that visitors will savour.
“We’re excited for everything November will bring, including sampling the tasty new menu and seeing the new rebrand for Compamigos unveiled.”
Mercia Marina boasts a wide range of shops, restaurants, bar, beauty salon and a fine art gallery, alongside its walking trails, holiday lodges and boats, which are all catered for by the all-important free on-site parking.
The transformation at Compamigos will be celebrated with two private, invitation only launch parties on the evenings of November 28 and 29.
Customers can enjoy their usual coffees and tapas throughout the refurbishment period.
For more information, visit www.theboardwalkbar.co.uk and www.merciamarina.co.uk.
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