‘We’ve had so many people coming down to take pictures’
Edison’s, in Monton, Salford, has reopened following a six-figure revamp with a new mural(Image: Edison’s)
A Monton bar has been given a major new six-figure revamp which has included the installation of a stunning mural which is already attracting crowds of tourists.
Edison’s first opened on Monton Road five years ago under the name of Edison Bar, in a reference to lightbulb creator Thomas Edison due to the building’s interior originally featuring a number of low-hanging lightbulbs. Led by Luke Grannell and his family, the bar and brunch spot recently closed for 12 weeks as part of a £200,000 revamp of the interior and a rebranding of the name.
Already a big part of the hospitality scene within the thriving Salford village of Monton, Luke said the relaunch marks an ‘exciting new chapter’ for the family-run venue. “With the refurb, we’re starting to move away from the original name,” Luke tells the MEN. “Edison’s is what everybody used to call us anyway, and it flowed much better.
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“Inside we’ve gone for a rustic-meets-luxury feel that I think really works well. When we opened, there were a lot of things that were quite obvious to us that could be improved on but we just couldn’t do it at the time. Now we’ve basically been able to correct everything we hated and improved on what we needed to. This is basically the best possible project and what we always envisioned all along.”
The highlight of the revamp includes a mural on the outside wall of the bar, paying homage to Salford’s roots. Created by a Portuguese-based muralist from The Mural Artists collective, the artwork features cobbled streets, workhorses, and bridges, as well as cranes linking to the industrial heritage of the city.
The bar has been given a new rustic-meets-luxury feel(Image: Edison’s)
Since being unveiled at the end of last week, Luke said he’s heard of people visiting specifically to see the design in person. “It’s already becoming a bit of a landmark in the area,” laughs Luke. “We’ve had so many people coming down to take pictures of it. It’s gone down really well – a lot of people are really liking it!
“We’re all from Salford, so we wanted something that would make reference to the area in some way, so we have the canals, the old-school cobbled roads, and Barton Bridge in the background. The cranes are supposed to represent the development of MediaCity, so there are lots of different associations with Salford there for people to find and we just thought it would be something really special locally.
“I’ve been sitting outside for a coffee in the morning and there’s been people just admiring it – It’s a bit surreal. People have told us it puts a smile on their face, and that’s always great to hear, isn’t it? It’s nice to be proud of where you’re from, and to remind people of the history of it too.”
The mural aims to be a proud reflection of Salford and its history(Image: Edison’s)
For its revamp, Edison’s has also given a big overhaul on its menu with new brunch dishes and even a brand new coffee machine. “There’s quite a big coffee scene emerging here in Monton,” Luke says.
“At first, I’ll admit that we didn’t really have a great coffee set up. It was a bit of an afterthought for us, but we’ve really focused on it now. We’ve signed up with a really good roastery now and invested in a top line machine so we can really deliver something which stands out.”
Run by Luke, his two brothers and their dad Kevin, the bar started life as the culmination of a late-night venue that they would all enjoy going to. The family have been no stranger to the tough realities of hospitality right now, with their second venture, Mexican restaurant Mexicali, closing its doors at the start of the year. But despite the challenges, the owners say they are committed to what a venue like Edison’s can offer the area.
The new look has already gone down well with customers(Image: Edison’s)
“Obviously, there are so many difficulties for the hospitality industry with increasing costs and pressures,” Luke explains. “Hospitality as a whole is in a tough spot. The price of utilities just keeps rising, but we try not to be negative about it. And, despite all of that, we had our best year last year. I think people are really supportive of their independents when they know they are trying their hardest.”
And asked how Monton has changed since they first opened up the original inception of Edison’s back in 2021, Luke says the area is completely different. “Compared to when we first opened, there’s 100% more people in Monton nowadays,” Luke explains. “Especially on the weekend, it’s the best I’ve ever seen.
The family behind the venue said they have really tried hard to make the revamped space the best it can possibly be(Image: Edison’s)
“We have lots of people coming in from Worsley and Eccles, there’s a lot of people who say they don’t need to go into the city centre anymore as places like Monton have so much to offer, which is just great to hear. There’s so many decent bars and venues here, and they’re all trying to do something special.”
Edison’s is on 261 Monton Road, Manchester, United Kingdom M30 9LF. Follow on Instagram here.