Restaurant Feature
The Grovedale Hotel’s back bar area has a whole new look to it after renovations have been made to remove the stage and change the look of the room while creating loads more space in the area.
The Grovey underwent their own ‘House Rules’ project, with demolitions starting Monday 5th and being near completion by that Friday the 9th. The adjustments have included the removal of the built-in stage, carpet, fixed furniture and the additions of a stud wall to frame the TVs for sports games, new furniture and fittings amongst the room.
The heavy timber dark look is now gone and a new fresh monochrome look has been applied to the room to create a modern feel in the area. New black high benches and white stools have been dotted amongst the room in-between lower tables with the same black and white scheme and hanging light fittings sit over the bar and tables. The new ‘cut-out’ dividers featured amongst the room have helped to create the more modern look and has given the room the feel of smaller more intimate sections amongst the large space. There’s now plenty of room for drinking sessions near the bar but also volumes of seating for those wanting to pick something from the bar menu.
The need for the renovation to be completed within a week saw tradesmen work early starts and late finishes every day to have it completed for the opening. Despite not having every finishing touch completed by opening, manager Joel Taylor wanted to open to the public regardless. “It was a push to get it done. We weren’t quite finished when we opened but we opened anyway.”
The idea for a change in the bar area came about six months ago after Taylor realised that the stage was taking up a considerable amount of space, which could instead be used as dining space. “This is a real sort of Sports Bar area and it wasn’t working that way.” The hotel has future plans for changes to the rest of their facility including renovations to their other Sports Bar on the west side and updates to their terrace area in the restaurant. Taylor said the new changes to the back Sports Bar “ties in with the rest of our plans here. We’ve got three stages of renovations happening and this was the first most simplest job we could do. The other plans we had been working on for about four years.”
The new changes have been welcomed in creating the right feel and look in the area. The feedback from the public on new changes has been positive, with Taylor saying “It’s been fantastic, people have been really wrapped with it. It’s much more functional for what we want it to be.”
With renovations starting in the other Sports Bar in three weeks’ time, The Grovedale Hotel has bigger and better things coming so stay tuned in the next few months to check out the changes. “It’ll add an extra element to the place. We’re looking for something different, something we don’t have, and that’s going to be it out there,” Taylor said.
If you’re a Grovey regular for the great gigs then don’t stress – the area will still be used for live entertainment, with two portable stages that will be interchangeable with dining tables on Friday and Saturday gig nights. This Friday 16th, the hotel has Figjam playing at their launch party with promos and giveaways happening throughout the night. So get along to The Grovedale Hotel this weekend and check out the new changes for yourself. They definitely don’t disappoint.
Written by Belinda McIntosh
