We spoke with Stack staff on the announcement of its closure

Over 100 members of staff from Stack Newcastle will have to find new jobs after the closure of the venue this May


It’s come as a shock to everybody that our beloved Stack is coming to a close this May following their recent announcement.

As sad as we all are to lose our favourite Saturday night drinking spot, it’s been even harder for the many staff who will be forced to move on to other employment or even end up out of work.

With many of their staff being students like us, we wanted to speak to them and hear how they felt about the announcement and what the future looks like for them moving on from Stack.

Courtney Cairns, 21, has been a dedicated employee at Stack since it first opened in 2018. Starting when she was just 16 and working in the coffee shop, she worked her way up to bar supervisor and is devastated about the closure. “It’s a shame really for it to be closing because it’s one of the busiest bars in the whole of Newcastle, it’s done so well from start to end; seeing the amount of staff members come and go throughout the four years.

“I have made so many friends from being there! I will be transferred to another venue within the company when it is time to close which I’m grateful for.”

Another more recent employee, Kieran, studies at Northumbria University and relies on his wages from Stack to support himself during his studies. He said that the closure has “come as a shock” but that management have been really supportive and “have tried to move people onto their other venues so people aren’t out of work”.

Aaron, however, has found the closure to come at a bad time for him: “It’s not ideal since it’s closing around the time my diss is due”. Although, he added: “they gave us plenty of notice and they’re helping to find people jobs”.

Finally we spoke to Emma, who has worked in Stack since it reopened after lockdown in 2021: “I’ve met the best people there and it will be such a shame to lose it. I have been supported massively and given opportunities to progress within the company. Staff have been offered places within the company or help finding new jobs, making a difficult time much easier”. She finished on a positive note: “I’ve had the best time and we will see what the future holds!”.

It’s fair to say that all the staff will be sad to see Stack go, as will we, but not all is negative as they’re being offered the support they need to find jobs elsewhere.

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