Team behind PINS Social Club unveil plans for new hospitality venue

Building on the huge success of PINS Social Club in Liverpool, the new 25,000 sq ft venue will span three floors, offering a next-generation social and entertainment experience in one of Manchester’s most iconic buildings.

Located in the Grade II-listed, Art Deco Sunlight House, which is currently undergoing a large refurbishment into grade A office space, the new PINS will be a place where guests of all ages can arrive as fans and leave as players – whether that means immersing themselves in live music and late-night entertainment, competing against friends or enjoying the atmosphere of live sports.

Plans for the venue include a main stage on the ground floor for its electric half time shows, tenpin bowling including VIP private lanes, a gaming mezzanine with tech darts, pool, shuffleboard, beer pong, and karaoke, plus a dedicated sports bar to cater to Manchester’s sports mad crowd. Food will be served all day, from breakfast through to late-night, ensuring guests are fuelled to enjoy their experience to the fullest.

The new venue will be located in the basement of Manchester’s Grade II-listed, Sunlight House, which has undergone a £35million restoration by the building’s owners, Karrev. It is set to become a dynamic hub fostering creativity, collaboration, and productivity, offering a variety of Grade A office spaces. The refurbishment is set to complete in October, ahead of PINS’ grand opening.

The company was founded by friends Daniel Gillbanks and David Scowcroft, who opened their first social club in February 2020. The aim was to pioneer a new entertainment concept, by elevating the combined experiences of competitive socialising and a design-led bar centred around sports heritage.

Daniel Gillbanks explains:

“The vision for our business is centred around the guest – delivering an immersive experience in a venue that spans numerous common offerings. Providing a bar that unites competitive socialising, live entertainment and a strong programme of sports –with the core focus of creating an ‘arena- like’ experience for guests to be a part of.”

Daniel Kelly joined the team as Managing Director at the start of 2024 to expand the PINS brand, whilst also adding the newly launched Dog & Collar Pub in Liverpool and the recently acquired fan-favourite brand, Almost Famous to the D2 portfolio.

Daniel said:

“Manchester is a city that thrives on energy, culture, and community – everything that PINS is about. This new venue will be our biggest yet, offering a bold and exciting social space that’s purpose built for entertainment, competition, and ultimately, having a great time. We can’t wait to bring our concept to Manchester’s incredible social scene. Keep an eye out for more details coming soon.”

Julien Buronfosse, Managing Director at Karrev, added:

“We’re thrilled that PINS, a renowned name in leisure and hospitality, has chosen Sunlight House as their first location outside of Liverpool.

“The PINS offering is diverse, dynamic and will provide tenants and the local community with an unparalleled leisure experience. We wanted to work with an operator that understood our vision of breathing new life into a historic building, contributing to the new era that Sunlight House is entering. The building has ambitions to be much more than Grade A office space, with a specific emphasis on community building. The addition of PINS to Sunlight House will contribute greatly to that.”