After a long-awaited refurbishment, Croxteth’s very own Buzz Bingo hall has finally reopened following a complete makeover which suggests a completely different bingo experience to what players may be used to. The sprawling venue has clearly opted for a more trendy, youth-oriented vibe in what appears to be an attempt to appeal to the new generation of millennial bingo players, who have co-opted the centuries-old game and transformed it into the ultimate hipster experience, according to reports from The Guardian.
While the Croxteth bingo hall hasn’t gone quite as far as serving up deconstructed soy lattes or bringing in the biggest electronic music DJs, it’s clear that this refurbishment has brought something different and refreshing to the nightlife of Croxteth. Let’s take a look to see what the locals can expect from this new potential hotspot.
The Croxteth Buzz Bingo hall is located smack-bang in the middle of L11, within the Stonedalee Retail and Leisure Park. The fact that the venue is surrounded by a McDonald’s and a Showcase Cinema obviously makes it stand out somewhat, given that the new look and feel of the venue is one that is more reminiscent of city centre nightlife than a day out at the shops.
Gone are the dingy, tired looking bingo floors of yore, which has been replaced with a bright, airy feel that makes the whole venue feel more like a trendy hotel lounge than a traditional bingo hall. This alone may not be enough to attract a new wave of younger patrons, but it seems the overhaul of the old venue has been more than just cosmetic.
If there’s anything that’ll appeal to younger bingo players, it’s the insanely cheap drinks menu, which has prices that you’d think had long disappeared from British menus. There are massive pitchers of beer for just £11, two bottles of wine for £10, and that old-school classic “double-up for £1” offer that is usually confined to the nightclubs of Concert Square. They also a have a number of health-focused cocktails for the more refined drinker, meaning they’re really trying to appeal to just about everyone here.
Similarly, one of the biggest indicators that this is a different type of bingo venue is the food menu, which has done away with traditional offerings of either pie or crisps in favour of something a little more current and refined. Bingo-goers can now indulge in fully-stacked hipster burgers, pulled pork burritos, pizza fries, Philly cheese steaks and all of those other calorific treats that you’d usually only be able to get at the Baltic Market if you arrived early enough.
This is clearly a bingo hall trying to repurpose itself as a lively, viable venue for a generation of consumers who expect a little more flair. The place is open until 1 am on weekends, meaning that the potential for Buzz Bingo to become the place-of-choice for revellers looking for an alternative way to enjoy a drink before a big night on the town is pretty high.
It’s clear what this revamped venue is trying to be, and whether it’ll attract big enough crowds to fill the gargantuan space remains to be seen.