Dan KettlewellWhen you think of Chinese revolutions the image of rebellious students in Tiananmen Square or communist uprisings normally springs to mind.
In York however something of a curveball east-Asian revolution seems to be taking place in the name of the Chinese disco.
Already playing host to the legendary Willow Restaurant on Coney Street and Maxi’s disco nights at Poppleton Business Park a new entrant could be set to emerge.
The Regency Chinese, formally a hotel and restaurant on Barbican Road, is undergoing renovation and upon closer inspection an intriguing premises application displays itself in the window.
After lying derelict for some years the owners have applied to the city council for a licence until 03:30 with the addition of music and dancing, and from this certain parallels are not hard to be drawn.
Although the finer details are yet to emerge, as is the official green light from the Council, the owners are on track to open in the coming months whereupon they hope that The Regency will become a serious contender in the city’s unique and seemingly growing Chinese disco scene. And being placed ideally between the city centre, a large student population and numerous local pubs they seem to be on a geographical winner from the outset.
Like its predecessors could this potential new late night venue capture the hearts and minds of York’s party-goers? Will they find themselves up there with the infamous hand stamps and free prawn crackers of the Willow, or the marginally more refined three course dinner-disco at Maxis?
Or is this ongoing development ‘peking’ too far into the future to be a certain hit?
Only time will tell.
