New habit for Old Monk pubs

PUB chain The Old Monk Company is to launch a radically redesigned flagship pub format, created by Harrison Design, as part of a project to appeal to a different clientele.

Liverpool’s former piano shop Cranes, a landmark local building in Hanover Street, is to reopen later this month as a modernised Gothic pub aimed at younger drinkers.

At a cost of 1.2m, the 370m2 site will include a bottle bar, a cocktail bar and new sound and lighting systems. It will continue to serve traditional beer, but the menu has been updated to include a broader range of food. “The design is far less conservative than the recently completed Old Monk project in Birmingham,” says a Harrison Design spokeswoman.

Paul McMichael, operations director at the Old Monk Company, describes the design as contemporary and innovative. “The building itself is fantastic, with high ceilings and plenty of space. We have added to its appeal by using rich reds and blues and by designing a raised DJ box which extends across the entire first floor,” he says. If the pub is successful then Old Monk will push future projects in the same direction, he says.

The Liverpool pub is one of eight Old Monk projects Harrison is currently working on. Together the projects are worth 4m to the consultancy.