Nine Lives, the tropical dive bar in a Victorian basement in London Bridge, has appointed Sergio Leanza as general manager.
Leanza was part of the bar team that opened the Sweet & Chili-founded bar in 2017, before going on to open Funkidory and Mama Funki.
Nine Lives celebrates its ninth year this autumn with the new Cocktails & Tacos menu launching in October.
Allan Gage, founder, Nine Lives said: "Sergio and I go back over a decade - he was part of the team when Sweet&Chilli ran the House of Peroni, and one of the people who poured the very first drinks at Nine Lives, nine years ago!
“He left to build something of his own, and he did exactly that - Funkidory changed the game in South London’s cocktail culture. Welcoming him back as our general manager, in the year of our ninth birthday, feels exactly right."
Leanza said: “Nine Lives has a soul that’s hard to explain until you’ve spent a night in it. I remember being part of the conversations around the idea of the venue before it even opened, and I’ve watched it grow ever since.
“Allan [Gage], Emma [Hutchinson] and Tom [Soden] have been a big influence on me throughout my career, both through the opportunities they’ve given me and through the way they approach hospitality and creativity. Coming back now feels like a natural next chapter, and I’m looking forward to helping shape where Nine Lives goes next.”
Nine Lives’ kitchen is led by Ramon 'El Tigre' Ramos from Guadalajara, Mexico, whose tacos are served alongside a cocktail list that majors on Margaritas.