IT HAS been a year in the making, but now 5 Rivers is one of the most popular sports bars in Southampton.

Owned by four members of staff, the pub opened its doors for the first time in March last year.

Those at the heart of the business say the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

Eager to stand out, one owner, Manj Ranu, said the pub was focusing on its menu of Indian food.

The pub itself is named after northern India, where Manj’s family is from.

The north of the country is named Punjab, which translates into ‘five rivers’.

Manj, 40, said: “We were looking at where to open, because we had this idea for a sports bar like this.

“When The Dungeon, the student nightclub that was here before us, shut, we knew it would get a lot of footfall as we used to drink down this way.

“We have eight screens so can show a lot of sport, and on matchdays, we are only a ten or 15 minute walk from St Mary’s.”

The pub’s four owners all work at the facility, but they are also all married and have children, as Manj admits it can take a bit of a juggling act.

They operate with a total of around ten staff.

He added: “Of course we’re not here 24/7, but it’s an important business to us all.

“We didn’t want to push the publicity too much when we opened as it was a new venture.

“We didn’t want to take on too much on too soon.

“I’m really proud of how we have coped this first year.

“The response has definitely been a positive one.

“People seem to enjoy our food and the prices haven’t turned people away.

“We just want to continue making people happy and heading in the right direction.”