Posted May 30, 2008, 11:12 AM
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It's Hammer Time
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Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Hamilton
Posts: 20,304
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New eatery's rooftop patio already a hit
May 30, 2008
Meredith Macleod
The Hamilton Spectator
Lunch on a patio on a warm, sunny spring day has risen to new heights in Hamilton.
Three storeys, to be exact.
The city's much-anticipated newest eatery, London Tap House, quietly opened its doors this week at the corner of Main and John.
The owners and managers want to work out all the kinks before hosting a grand opening weekend late in June.
But yesterday's noontime crowd kept the new staff hopping. Patio patrons drank in a view of the escarpment, nearby church spires and the bustling traffic of Main Street from under umbrellas. The patio is open to the sky and surrounded by eight feet of tinted glass and an open-air bar.
It can seat about 80 for lunch and dinner and more than 200 for a nighttime patio party.
The street-level bar features large windows and soaring ceilings, and an adjacent cosy dining room overlooks the open-concept kitchen.
Black and white historic photos of Hamilton, including the steel mills and skyline, hang on walls throughout.
The second floor is another bar area which will act as a lounge and overflow spot for the dance club on the third floor.
Work is ongoing on a basement lounge area that can be used for events and private parties.
Yesterday, staff (about 100 people have been hired) were still getting to know each other and gearing up for a weekend dance crowd.
The Whistler, B.C.-based owners, Gibbons Hospitality Group, have invested just under $4 million in the project, said the restaurant's general manager, Scott Rowe.
They spent about $500,000 to buy the 158-year-old stone building. Then they spent months stripping eight inches of plaster and drywall to expose thick stone and brick walls.
"When we saw what was underneath, it was just unbelievable," Rowe said.
Gibbons Hospitality owns four restaurants and bars in Whistler and the original London Tap House in, you might have guessed, London, Ont.
"This is definitely our most ambitious project, absolutely," said Gibbons Hospitality president Joey Gibbons.
His goal is to continue to expand the London Tap House brand. He said the concept is to create a "wedding without the speeches," where all kinds of different people can mix and mingle and have a good time.
Rowe knows many eyes have been trained on the renovation project. The original goal was to open in March and there were worries during winter's deep freeze that the project had stalled. But he says delays are just part of construction.
"We'd get e-mails from people asking if the work had stopped. I'd write back and tell them we have 50 people working inside," he said.
Rowe says the intersection is a perfect spot.
"This is an amazing corner with the traffic and the businesses around here. Places like Slainte's, Tailgate Charlie's and La Cantina have just been great to us. We're super proud to be down here."
The building, designed by renowned architect William Thomas, has been home to a grocery, a shoemaker, a winery, a veterans' hall, beauty salons and most recently, Uncle Tommy's Restaurant and then Sundried Tomatoes.
"We seriously drove to a lot of towns (looking for a location)," Gibbons said. "When we came down the street, we saw the stone here and knew there was a gem. There are so many things going the right way here it was a no-brainer. We had to scoop it up."
Gibbons says the city has thrown open its arms.
"We're a young company and cities we go into are taking a chance on us, but a city like Hamilton is looking to take some chances to create change, so that's been a lot of fun for us."
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