INDUSTRIAL DESIGN!
NAAS PUB AND EATERY GOES BACK TO BASICS
-33 SOUTH MAIN PUB & EATERY INVESTS €500K IN NEW EVENT SPACE-
-15 NEW HOSPITALITY JOBS TO BE CREATED AT NEW VENUE-
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| Andy Hogan, proprietor of 33 South Main |
A €500,000 renovation and extension project has been underway for the last few months at the well-known pub and eatery, 33 South Main in Naas Co. Kildare. The famous Naas landmark premises was known as ‘The Ivy’ for decades until seasoned hospitality artisan Andy Hogan acquired the property in June 2017 and completely gutted, renovated and rebranded the establishment as ‘33 South Main’.
Under Hogan’s tenure the original pub was completely reimagined and is now a stylish sports bar and eatery with an open kitchen serving an all-day causal food menu, craft beers, cocktails and its famous gourmet burgers and spicy Louisiana style chicken wings to a growing cohort of fans. The business has been closed due to the current Coronavirus restrictions but will open (from Friday 8th of May) for takeaway food and drinks.
Hogan has now added a 2,500 sq. ft event and live music space to the rear of the existing establishment with works almost at completion stage. The new offering, which will be known as ‘The Stores Bar & Venue’ will hold 200 people and will be multifunctional. The investment in the complete project is over €500,000 and once complete will create 15 new full and part-time roles. This is in addition to the existing 28 people who are currently employed by Hogan, making 33 South Main one of the largest employers in the hospitality sector in Naas.
“The idea for an extension at 33 South Main was first discussed with my team in early 2019 as we needed additional space for the growing number of party bookings we received in the lead up to Christmas 2018”, said Hogan. The initial concept, he said was to add a function room for weekend use only but as the year progressed and the business continued to grow, the need for an additional bar and or dining facilities became the main driver behind the expansion plans. “Naas is well known as a great place to eat, there are lots of restaurants and pubs offering quality food and drink but after some more research we identified a major gap in the market to create a flexible event space.
The landlord, John Healy had acquired the premises next door, at 34 South Main Street, both number 33 and 34 share a large yard to the rear of the terrace where an old stone cut building which was once used to store documents for a firm of solicitors lay idle, desolate and unused. The potential of the building was quickly identified by Hogan as the new event space he needed, and he put plans in train to realise his ambition for a new venue.
The Stores Bar & Venue has been designed so that it can be used to accommodate additional diners and patrons, or it can be used as a standalone private function space. It has its own separate bathrooms and bar and can be accessed via a dedicated entrance off the ample private car park to the rear. This allows private functions to take place without guests having to traverse the public bar and dining areas to the front. The new event space also has its own permanent stage which can host larger bands for live music sessions and on big sporting occasions televised sport will be shown on several large screens and projectors.
Hogan commissioned P & R Design to create a design solution that would complement the pub and meet his business objectives. The brief was to create something that had a slightly younger, cooler vibe than the front bar which features classic wall panelling, feature lights, patterned floor tiles and plush velvet fabrics on booths, chairs and high stools.
Together with their client, P & R Design settled on a stripped back vibe where the materials would be left in their raw natural state, including the metal girders and beams which form the skeleton of the old building. Exposed planks and bare brick set the scene for the industrial raw vibe created by the designers. Ultimately cool with an urban edge the new venue has at its heart a rustic style drinks bar made from corrugated steel which bears the patina of age and harks back to its once industrial and agricultural use.
Where the walls of the main part of 33 South Main are decked in classic wall panelling, here distressed wooden planks left in their natural rough state adorn the walls. Steel metal mesh screens create separate areas and define private spaces while industrial light fittings in brushed metal create pools of ambient lights. The colour palate in the space mainly comes from the brick, wood and metal finishes while leather upholstery and natural woollen check fabrics on seats and couches provide comfort and softens the overall look.
Where possible the materials used have been salvaged and repurposed, junk yard finds have become precious treasures. Old vintage signs, an old railway station clock and quirky light fittings all add to the look which is as effortlessly elegant as it is rustic.
As part of the overall project another area at the side of the existing Conservatory has also been renovated in order to add an additional 40 seats to the pub.
With its bare brick bones, crinkly tin and exposed pipes to its weathered and battered vintage signs, The Stores Bar & Venue is set to be the coolest new kid on the block.
For more information see www.33southmain.com
press release
