A live music venue and pub that has been open for eighteen years on Bath Road has been listed for sale.
The Thunderbolt, in the heart of Totterdown, has been put on the market as the current owner Dave McDonald has decided to step away from the business.
The bar and venue is a well-loved asset in the local community, with locals coming together to crowdfund over £10,000 during lockdown to prevent its closure in 2020 when the hospitality industry really struggled.
McDonald said that the sale is “not because the business isn’t doing well”, but that it “feels like the time to move on.”
“The area’s changing, with so many new students and all the building at Temple Quarter”, McDonald said. “Hopefully the new owner will extend the opening hours, keep it a community place and support all of the developments going on around us.”
McDonald says that there has been lots of interest in the business, with some potential buyers looking hopeful.
“We really don’t want to lose the music venue, and want to keep it as a community place”, he said. “It would be a real shame for it to lose the music.”
Over its eighteen-year run, The Thunderbolt has hosted countless bands, artists, and party nights, being deemed a “local institution” by the Sunday Times in 2013.
“We’ve seen thirty or forty venues go down in that time,” McDonald said, “so we want to make sure that any new owner will continue The Thunderbolt’s legacy.”
“Bands come here to get a chance, because they know that once they’ve played The Thunderbolt they can play other venues”, said McDonald. “We’re only a small venue but it’s really important to keep.”
The sale of the freehold property will take between three and four years, McDonald estimates. “We’re going to keep the place going for all of that time. We’re not going anywhere quick.”
“Most importantly any bookings, gigs, weddings and parties are all still going ahead. We are still here AND still available for your event so if you’re keen to book an event contact Dave McDonald on info@thethunderbolt.net”
Story by Susie Long. Images from Thunderbolt Facebook and David Drury
