Why Opening Queen’s Square Social in Wrexham’s Old Library Was a No-Brainer

Since taking on Hotel Wrexham, I’ve naturally found myself spending a lot more time in Wrexham that ever before and the more time I have spent there, the more I have seen the potential of this city.

There is a real energy around the place. You can feel that things are moving. It feels like a city on the up, with more attention, more confidence and more opportunity than ever before. Wrexham is climbing, and for me, that made getting involved in another project here a complete no-brainer.

That is why I am excited to say that we have just opened Queen’s Square Social! Located in the heart of the city centre, on the ground floor of Wrexham’s Old Library.

This is a building that has a lot of history. The locals know it, people care about it, and it has such a strong place in the story of Wrexham. So to now have the keys and be able to bring that ground floor back into everyday use feels like a massive opportunity, and a responsibility too.

For me, this is not about opening another standard venue. It is about creating something Wrexham genuinely needs. A place that people can use in different ways throughout the day. Somewhere you can come for coffee, lunch, a meeting, to do some work, to record content, to catch up with people, or to attend an event. A place that becomes part of the city centre culture.

That is the vision behind Queen’s Square Social. A proper third space for the city. Not home, not work, but somewhere in between that feels welcoming, useful and full of life.

I have always believed hospitality is about more than food and drink. At its best, it gives people somewhere to belong. Somewhere to connect. Somewhere to feel comfortable. That is exactly what we want to build here.

The venue itself has a deli, a board room, a podcast studio and a social/event space. It will be a space that works for day-to-day use, but it will also have the flexibility to host private events, classes, meetings, celebrations, conferences and keynote speaker events, with room for up to 250 people.

What excites me the most is that it is not boxed into one thing. It can evolve with the city and with the people using it.

When we took on Hotel Wrexham, it gave me a much closer view of what is happening here. Since then, I have seen a city with ambition, character and momentum. There is pride in Wrexham, but there is also room for more. More reasons for people to stay in the city centre. More spaces that bring people together. More businesses that add something different.

Queen’s Square Social is our way of contributing to that.

We are not coming in to fill space for the sake of it. We want to create something that adds real value to the square and to the wider city centre. Something that supports jobs, creates energy, drives footfall, delivers a good lunch and make this part of Wrexham feel even more alive.

Day-to-day operations will be led by our General Manager, Li Armitstead, who is the leader behind the whole project, the design, the menu, the staff, coming from working in Chester she has loads of experience in hospitality and we are excited to bring that to Wrexham.

We want Queen’s Square Social to feel natural. Warm. Relaxed. Useful. Somewhere people can spend ten minutes or three hours and still feel like it works for them.

The venue is also connected with The Old Registry, which we also operate nearby.

When that opens residents staying there will have access to amenities within the Queens Square Social such as the breakfast and boardroom, helping strengthen the connection between the two sites and bringing even more life into the area.

For us, this project sits naturally alongside our wider work across the region, including Hotel Wrexham, The Savvy Fox and the Cheshire and North Wales Food and Drink Festival. But this one feels especially important because of what it can mean for the city centre itself.

The Old Library has a huge history behind it. Originally opened in 1907 as a Carnegie library, it has long been one of Wrexham’s landmark buildings. Following its refurbishment, it now has the chance to begin a new chapter, and we are proud that Queen’s Square Social will be part of that story.

But the main thing is this: I believe in Wrexham. I believe it is growing; it reminds me of Liverpool 30 years ago. I believe there is room here for bold, exciting businesses that bring something new to the city.

Getting the chance to open Queen’s Square Social in The Old Library was a no-brainer and we can’t wait to bring a modern fresh vibe to the city.