Entrepreneur Danny Cunningham first came to Liverpool in 2009 after which he travelled the world as a beverage consultant – now he is back to open his first bar in the city. Tony McDonough reports

Northern Ireland-born entrepreneur Danny Cunningham is opening his first bar in Liverpool.

Danny, who grew up in Derry, first came to Liverpool in 2009 to study interior architecture, specialising in bar design. While he was studying he also worked behind the bar at Alma de Cuba in Seel Street. Within 14 months he was the bar manager. 

He then became part of the opening team for Salt Dog Slims and 81 Ltd, which served as the foundation to his career in hospitality.

Once he had established himself as an experienced bartender, Danny became an independent beverage consultant. This job took him to places all over the world including the Maldives, US, Barbados, Venezuela, Oslo, Dubai, Cayman Islands and Thailand.

He also worked in Pwllheli in Wales and London where he supported brands with everything from recruitment and venue design, to menu development and staff training for new and existing venues.

Danny also opened his own bar in Singapore. And he learned the trade of brewing and distilling on the job while consulting on the opening of several rum distilleries in the Caribbean.

Now he is opening Danny C’s in Seel Street in Liverpool city centre. It is described as a ‘tikeasy’. This is a combination of a traditional speakeasy and a tiki bar. It will offer classic cocktails and new creations put together by Danny himself.

This new venue will open this autumn with 35 seats, with guests enjoying table service only. Bookings will be encouraged, but walk-ins accepted depending on availability.

Danny said: “Danny C’s will reflect my personal experience from travelling around the world, experiencing the beauty of many different styles of hospitality.

“Every country has its own approach depending on its culture and diversity and each location has great ideas that can be implemented to compliment each other.

“My tikeasy will incorporate these special styles of service to create the best level of service possible.

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“I’ve taken a lot of inspiration from Asia for the bar design and service style where narrow townhouses in places such as Bangkok, Singapore and Tokyo require the space to be used intelligently.

“This coupled with bespoke, individualised service will make Danny C’s a truly global beverage experience and offer an entirely different offering to anywhere else in the city.”