Crowds turned out to celebrate the launch of County Durham's newest cocktail bar after months of hard work transformed a former registry office into a stylish new nightlife venue.
Mr Mix HQ officially opened its doors on Friday, October 16, in the former Consett Registry Office on Medomsley Road, marking a major milestone for businessman Dan Bowes.
The venue is the latest venture from Dan, who has spent the last 12 years building the Mr Mix cocktail business across the North East.
(Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
The journey to opening day was far from straightforward, with delays, paperwork issues, unexpected costs and delivery problems all threatening to derail the project.
Mr Mix HQ, Consett pictured owner Dan Bowes. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
But those struggles were forgotten when the doors finally opened.
Reflecting on the launch night, Dan said: "Opening MR MIX HQ was honestly one of the most surreal moments of my life."
(Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
"After months of setbacks, delays, paperwork, unexpected costs, broken deliveries, missing deliveries, things arriving wrong, equipment turning up late and a thousand little problems that seemed determined to happen all at once, finally getting the doors open felt massive."
(Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
"There were so many points where I thought, 'How am I actually going to get this over the line?' but somehow, with a lot of graft and an unbelievable amount of help from the people around me, we did it."
Guests packed the venue throughout the evening, creating what Dan described as a "real buzz" from the moment people arrived.
(Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
(Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
He said: "The reaction from guests was better than I could ever have hoped for."
"There was a real buzz around the place from the minute people started arriving, and seeing people actually drinking, laughing, dancing and enjoying a venue that had only existed in my head for so long was quite emotional."
One of the biggest compliments, he said, was hearing people describe the venue as different from other bars.
(Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
(Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
(Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
"I never wanted HQ to feel like just another bar," he said.
"I wanted it to feel like MR MIX finally had a permanent home."
Dan also paid tribute to his staff and the wider Consett business community, saying support from local companies helped overcome a series of last-minute challenges before opening night.
He said: "People dropped off ice, glasses, extra stock, food, flowers, cakes and all sorts when something inevitably went wrong."
"That really showed me what the local business community here is about. It is not about competition, it is about people wanting each other to do well."
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While opening night marked the end of one chapter, Dan says it is only the beginning for the venue.
"After 12 years of building the MR MIX brand, finally having a venue of my own in my home town is something I am incredibly proud of," he said.
"The best bit now is that this is only the beginning."