Beirut Bunker Bar calls last drinks, but plans reinvention
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Civic’s Beirut Bunker Bar will soon close its doors—but it’s already planning its reinvention.
It’s been a tough 18 months for the hospitality industry. And while many restaurants have been able to pivot their offerings in response to an unpredictable environment, the pandemic hasn’t been quite so kind to bars.
Civic’s Beirut Bunker Bar is just one local business that has been forced to rethink its business model.
“While hospitality businesses around us turned to takeaway food delivery when we entered the nine-week lockdown in April 2020, we were limited to just cocktails,” said Beirut Bunker Bar co-owner Soumi Tannous.
“It was an incredibly stressful time for our family, as the bar is our sole source of income. By week two of the lockdown, we received word that my father in Lebanon had been diagnosed with terminal cancer … And if that wasn’t enough to process, we discovered we had a surprise baby on the way!”
And while Beirut Bunker Bar’s ‘Bunker Down’ takeaway cocktail range received a groundswell of support from the community, the revenue generated was just enough to cover the wage for one of their employees who, as an international student, was not eligible for government assistance.
“When we launched Beirut Bunker Bar back in June 2019, the world was a very different place. Since COVID, it has become clear we need to diversify our service offering to futureproof our business,” said Soumi.
And so, as of Monday 23 August, Beirut Bunker Bar will close—relaunching as Bar Beirut later in the year.
Soumi and his wife and co-owner Chantelle are adding a kitchen that promises a modern take on Middle Eastern-Mediterranean cuisine, and have engaged creative powerhouse Kelly Ross and her team to completely revamp the interior.
However, Soumi assures us the Beirut vibes and inventive cocktails are very much here to stay.
“Some of our regulars have expressed concern that we’re turning into a restaurant. We are still very much a bar … but it will now be complemented with food and fancier furniture.”
Feature image: Zachary Griffith
