Update 07 September 2015 – Chris and Amanda have now found a new owner for Hidden bar, so no more new enquiries please.
While super-flash hotels and other high-profile launches tend to win all the ‘World’s Best Bar’ awards…
…anyone who has been to Hidden Bar, as run by Chris and Amanda Blanch, knows that there isn’t a better time to be had in any other venue.
Chris and Amanda were due to say goodbye to Hidden because of a land sale ending the lease. However, as you may have seen on Facebook, things have changed and now the lease is available for the right operator to take over.
Time is pressing, however, so we asked Amanda to give us the lowdown on Hidden, and what you could expect if you took the bar on.
On a personal note, Hidden is a magical little spot, and we really hope Chris and Amanda can find someone who will appreciate it, and keep the place alive.
About Hidden Bar, Ibiza – Amanda Blanch:
The lease on Hidden Bar was not going to be renewed, as the landlord thought he would sell the land, which is why Chris and I decided to move to our house in Hvar, which we had always wanted to do anyway.
This was the kick we needed. However yesterday we had a meeting with the land lord and his family, and he told us he loved what we have done to his magical garden and now wants us to stay. We can’t as we have set the wheels in motion to move, and it’s all a bit frantic as we close at the end of this month so we need to move fast as I had arranged an auction to sell everything off, (all the furniture, kitchen equipment, the retro caravan and chalet etc). So now we need to find a buyer quickly hence the very good price.
The lease has 1 1/2 years left on it, but we have spoken to the landlord and he is happy to renew it again for the right person taking it over.
It is all set up and is running well, although it is a bit shabby chic, and very quirky, very Ibiza. Things run well until they don’t, if you know what I mean. The living accommodation is basic to say the least but we have been very happy living here for 3 years and 3 months and love it and its only 50m from the most stunning beaches in Ibiza.
This is not a huge money making operation, its a destination bar and restaurant, being up North is very different to the VIP beach clubs of the South which are hideous and would cost you millions to even get a foot in the door.
We have established a good little business with regulars and tourists who come back year after year. Its more of a lifestyle for us not about making big bucks, however you could put more marketing in etc and get bigger returns if you wanted to. The Giri restaurant in St Joan is always full and people make it up to see them.
The rent is so silly cheap for Ibiza that this reflects in the overall condition. The landlord wont do anything to help with the maintenance at all, If the boiler goes (as it did this year) we replace it, if the pump goes in the loos, we replace it, which it did this year. But we pay €660 plus vat a month for a business and accommodation… I know its mad. It might go up a little bit with a new lease but not much.
The main income comes from weddings and events which we have now started to do really well at and if we had stayed would have had about 30 next year, sadly we had to turn them down but some of them might not have found somewhere else and I do have some of their contact details still, however we are getting enquiries every week still so that is the side of the business that could really grow and make money to cover the slower months.
May, June and September and October, tail off in normal business and so the events are a welcome as they are always in those months. We have done the hard work, the first 3 years getting known, now someone can really take it to the next step.
July and August are your only really busy months for normal trade, Ibiza is very seasonal and don’t let anyone tell you differently. As we were leaving we cut our staff down this year and did less DJ nights and special events but we still made the same money even though we were less busy.
Chris is going to sit down and get some figures together over this weekend which will give you an idea, but this month for instance we have 6 events and weddings and the average spend is €7,000 to €8,000, with €2,5000 as a simple hire charge so is instant profit. We have run this as a real Ibiza experience not the VIP €1,000 for a sun bed type thing and that way we get the best clients as well.
You can see from our trip adviser that we are well loved and from our Facebook page and its a shame we are going, we would have stayed had the landlord not changed his mind, but hey ho, we love Hvar too.
We are putting Hidden up with an agent next week for €30,000 this will cover the equipment we have put in and caravan, chalet etc although we can reduce this a little if we don’t go through an agent and if it was a quick deal.
We are happy to share all our knowledge, do cocktail training, write cocktail menus etc (as that is what we are very well known for).
If you like Ibiza and want a place in the sun with a very special vibe for a very low price, this is the place.
I do currently have many enquiries so it is first come first serve, I’m not interested in a bidding war, and the first person that we like gets it, simple as that.
Let me know your thoughts and if you want us to keep you in mind.
Amanda x