A relaunch is generally a sure sign of dramatic change.
When McDonald’s started serving salads in 2005 it was the sign of a company attempting to wash away its image as the obesity machine of America, and when Pizza Hut became Pasta Hut in 2008 (albeit while still serving plenty of stuffed-crust and refill ice-cream), a new dining-in experience from Pakistan to Nicaragua was born.
Choosing to skip the trite formality of ‘healthy’ rebranding, self-proclaimed ‘relaxed and friendly’ bar and grill Henry J Bean’s stuck to its roots last Friday, re-opening as a revitalised Bean’s, but still providing the same slouching comfort and sociable service for which it is known.
The walls of Bean’s in Manchester’s The Printworks certainly looked different.
Taking its look from the history of its location, printing and industry feature prominently as customers are invited to relax in the donated library area, courtesy of Shudehill’s Paramount bookshop, and leave feedback on aged, clackety-keyed typewriters dotted around the bar.
General Manager of Beans, The Printworks, Sam Fraser, said: “Most venues have a history, a background, where the idea came from. I just looked at where we were and what being in the Printworks means to me and my team.”
This sense of using the past to look forward even stretches to the drinks – for example a mojito served in a bean can.
And yet the atmosphere of an American diner at night seems hard to dispel. The dimmed lights lend a privacy that provides a comforting complement to the booth-seating arrangements, and this cosiness is further established by the food on offer and the staff serving it.
Happily bopping to the music while walking from bar to table with trays full of tin cans overflowing with sprigs of mint and crushed ice, waiting staff subconsciously assure you that a contented dining experience cannot be far away.
And indeed it wasn’t. Burgers, pulled-pork sandwiches, sticky ribs, garlic bread, and onion rings all washed down with a few well-mixed cocktails may not be the slimmer’s choice, but it is certainly the most satisfying food that has an incomparable ability to gladden the stomach and dispel the agro of a stressful day.
Some elements of the revamp, however, were less casually managed. Scheduled to open at 5.00pm, the doors remained obstinately sealed for at least an extra hour.
From the situation in the toilets it was easy to see why…
Through the double doors and down a set of stairs the story wasn’t quite so rosy. Around the toilet area, the smell of paint was overwhelmingly apparent. Doors stuck together, imprisoning customers who then had no choice but to force their way through. A few finger tips actually ended up white with paint even.
Not having everything ready for opening night might be an unpardonable sin to some –indeed such a bathroom experience is admittedly more than a little off-putting. Yet the clear hard work the staff put into renovating a formerly poorly-received restaurant and the intention behind the company’s manifesto are difficult not to find endearing.
Though existing as a single unit in an international company, there are only two new Bean’s stores in existence so far. Such a small-scale business, with hand-picked butchers, bakers, and cocktail-shakers, goes far in building a relationship between customer and proprietor, not profits and spreadsheets, and this is immediately obvious when walking through the doors.
“Bean’s used to be a small but busy cocktail bar that served wings and burgers and some American classics, but the focus was always on cocktails and a good old time. This is what I want for this Bean’s now,” Ms Fraser said.
‘A good old party that any American would think of as their home’ is the message the restaurant purveys. In light of its new opening and sustained atmosphere of comfortable repose, you might say it was a place anyone would think of as their home – let’s just hope the paint has dried.
Picture courtesy of whatmattdoes, with thanks.
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