Celebrating 20 years as one of Soho’s finest cocktail and dance bars, The Edge has witnessed a fair few changes in the venue itself and the wider Soho scene over the last two decades. Ahead of the anniversary celebrations, Lee Dalloway decided to find out a bit more about the homosexual-leaning corner bar…
It was in January 2001 that Andy Jones acquired The Edge, incidentally one of the earliest gay bars to be ‘out ‘n’ proud amongst a sea of blacked out windows and hidden away homos.
Originally it operated out of just the ground and first floors but as its popularity grew, it took over more of the building. The 2nd floor being opened as a ‘Review Bar’ in 1995 and the 3rd Floor as the Club bar in 1997, and its success was based largely on its music policy. It was one of the places to see and be seen before heading on to big name clubs such as DTPM, Fiction, Salvation and Trade.
However, in the 90s a number of other gay bars opened in and around Old Compton Street and the Edge, being a short trek from this, started to feel the pinch. As the competition grew, sales declined and when Andy took over the bar it was “looking quite tired and dated and in need of a major overhaul,” says Mr Jones himself.
Once a restaurant and café by day and watering hole by night, the venue has morphed into an evening/late night bar and club destination, having survived a smoking ban, recession and a multitude of questionable 1990s fashion choices… OK, maybe we exaggerated about the last one.
“At first it completely wiped out the upper floors, as no one wanted to go up and down the stairs to have a cigarette,” says Group Operations Manager Chad Sheldon of the smoking ban. “The areas of the venue that used to be most popular were no longer. The recession also affected us in terms of our food and daytime operation”, he continues. “Soho Square has long been known for housing the offices of many high profile and lucrative businesses that kept the daytime and lunch trade a staple part of the business. Now, many of those companies, due to the high rents of property on Soho Square, have moved elsewhere. At that point we had to make some difficult decisions to keep the business going.” Hence the recent focus on night time entertainment and their unprecedented (for Soho) weekend late licence until 4am.
The super-late Friday and Saturday night trading is something of a landmark, as Westminster Council are notoriously unwilling to grant late licenses to bars and clubs in the area. “It has been a lengthy process,” says Andy Jones. “Well over a year, and not an easy one by any means. The first time we were turned down, but the next time we sat in the front of the committee and they came back with their decision to grant our application, I was literally speechless for the rest of the day. It was the last part needed to completely transform how The Edge has operated for the past 20 years to how it will be for the next 20 years.”
The Edge has undergone a dramatic overhaul in terms of décor, most notably the upper floors in recent months, and the place does indeed look fabulous. Chad tells us, “We involved two sets of designers, one on each floor, who presented us with concepts that were then adapted to include some modern lighting technology, with fantastic results.”
Whilst the process was a lengthy one, the hard work is already reaping results. The Edge is rapidly gaining a reputation as an all-welcoming, polysexual venue where both gay and straight mates can have a great night out, minus any attitude. Keep your eyes peeled to QX for how The Edge is going to surprise and impress us in 2012 and beyond.
• On Saturday 18th February, join The Edge crew in celebrating 20 years of drinkin’, dancin’ and debauchery with a massive, four floor party until 3am! Hosted by Felicia Van Cartier (pictured), expect a super secret special guest DJ, topless waiters, a stage show from dance diva Mincemeat, stunning gogos and much more!
• The Edge 11 Soho Square, W1D 3QE
