The Thirsty Poet: A business born out of the COVID lockdown

Our hospitality industry has taken quite a beating during the Covid-19 era.

While so many businesses are having to completely change how they operate or even close altogether, there is one business that has been born out of these trying conditions.

Matt Concannon is the founder of “The Thirsty Poet”, a mobile bar and coffee shop:

“I’m a trained actor and spoken word artist, and since everything happened with coronavirus lockdown, the acting world has gone completely to pot.

“I kind of took it upon myself to utilise the skills that I have with the performance side of things and also my background in hospitality as a barista and bartender.

“The idea kind of came just from sitting in a park with my girlfriend and realising that we weren’t allowed to go to bars, we weren’t allowed to go to coffee shops because everything was shut.

“We needed to then follow these guidelines but there was nothing to do within those guidelines, so the idea of having a mobile bar and coffeeshop which also has a performance, unique sort of style to it, just got the ball rolling, to be honest.

Salford has been a part of the second lockdown over Greater Manchester, banning people from meeting at other’s houses and gardens.

“[the van] is something that I want people to feel that they can have in their gardens, for parties and small gatherings, bringing a bit of a feeling to the corporate world, which is still working.

“It’s a little bit more convenient than big groups going to big bars and big events.”

People are allowed to go to pubs and restaurants, but not to meet with other households.

Matt is looking to the future and developing his business when things resemble what we once knew as normal:

“I’m hoping to have a secured spot within the next few months within Salford, I’m looking at Middlewood locks near Regent road.

“There is a kind of hope during all of this, for things happening”

For more information, head over to The Thirsty poet’s website for more information.