Some of you might remember when I announced that I was starting a new business with Trey and a few friends in our hometown, Springfield, MO. We had just bought a very brown building and had plans to fill it with a bar! A few weeks ago we officially opened The Golden Girl Rum Club, and I am SOOOO excited to give you a little virtual tour today.
Here’s a before and after peek of our space.
So many things changed – where do I even begin! We added another bathroom, a kitchen, a bar, back bar storage, a second (emergency) exit, a garage door, lots of tile, wallpaper, a neon sign, tables, chairs, and everything in between (like plumbing, electrical, drywall, etc.). Our building is located on our city’s square and therefore is quite old, so it got a major facelift this year – it feels so fresh and new now.
I love SO much about our bar, but I wanted to point out just a few details on the tour. First up, our “Endless Summer” neon light.
Originally we had planned to install this above the backbar. But it ended up making more sense on this wall that you see when you walk in the front door. I had already picked out wallpaper for this space. And I think the two ended up looking really cool together, even though that wasn’t what we had planned.
In case you’re curious, our wallpaper is Brazilliance from Dorothy Draper. It was installed by Robbie and her team at CoverGirls. If you are in Springfield, MO and need a pro wallpaper hanger, Robbie is THE gal. I don’t think she has a website, but email me and I’ll give you her number (emma@abeautifulmess.com).
Another fun detail is this pineapple guy we installed toward the back (towards the bathrooms and kitchen). We kept the concrete floors and chose to just seal them, but the back of the building had this kind of faux wood linoleum that we replaced with mostly white hexagon tile and then this little pineapple guy.
It’s for shoe pics. Obviously.
Another really fun detail is this original painting from a very talented friend, Daniel Zender. It’s so fun, right?! And it only gets better in the dark. 😉
Speaking of talented designers, check out our menu that Rogan put together. He not only created our logo and menu, he also crafted many of the original cocktails that we serve.
Yeah, he’s pretty cool I guess.
He also designed these pins (with our logo). And yes, we sell them at the bar too.
The other mastermind behind many of our cocktails and the business as a whole is Josh Widner. Luckily Josh was around when we were shooting these pictures so he threw together a few of my favorite drinks for you to see.
Almost every night that I am at the bar someone will ask me what my favorite drink on our menu is. And it’s SUCH a tough question because I sincerely like every single one of them. And yes, I have tried all of them.
So even though I don’t think I can pick just one favorite, I must admit I’m pretty crazy for this one, which is called Holy Sh*t Jaws in 3D. Yes, it comes in a shark mug so it’s already pretty epic. But it’s also got some pretty amazing flavors going on including green chartreuse, which is very herby and really complex tasting.
It’s weird. I like it.
You might be thinking, why did you guys install a garage door? Well, this spring we plan to expand a little by adding an outdoor patio area, pretty much exactly where you see me walking in the above photo. We will then be able to open the garage door and people can spill out into the patio area without ever leaving the bar. I’ll share some pics when it’s finished.
Thank you SO much to everyone who has already come out to check out The Golden Girl Rum Club these past few weeks. We have been so excited to see the great response we’ve gotten so far. We’ve even had a few groups drive hours to come check us out, and for that I am immensely grateful.
If you haven’t come out yet, dude, where have you been? We serve lunch from 11-2p and dinner and/or drinks from 5p-1a Tuesday to Saturday currently, but you can always check our website, Facebook, or Instagram for updates. xx. Emma, Trey, and the GG team
Credits // Author: Emma Chapman. Photography: Janae Hardy and Rogan Howitt.
Love this Tour, looking at it SO LATE but what a lovely concept!
What about some Jamaican rum cocktails to add to the menu? I see you stock Appleton, which is a dream in a classic rum punch etc….we have hundreds of cocktails in Jamaica built around Appleton….also try to stock Blackwell Rum if you have it nearby. That is Chris Blackwell’s rum, (former music producer who owns Island Outpost) and the cocktails made with this are DIVINE, it is a lovely light bodied rum.
Congrats Emma and Trey! Hope I can visit one day soon.
xo
This is amazing! I hope to visit one day and take a shoefie with that cute pineapple! Just a quick note–there are two “the”s in the title of the post.
Congratulations! The space looks incredible – love that neon!! 🙂
you girls are amazing!!!! favourite blog forever *tear up from awesomeness*
It looks stunning and so so Summery!
xx,
E.
www.theslowpace.com
This is such a cool space! I love the wallpaper! My home state of West Virginia has a strong connection to Dorothy Draper. She was the interior designer for The Greenbrier Resort. The entire resort’s décor and patterns were curated by Ms. Draper. It even has Draper’s Ice Cream Shop that pays homage to her. I think you would really enjoy a visit!
http://www.greenbrier.com/HomePage-Sub-Pages/About-The-Greenbrier/Dorothy-Draper-Co
I live in mid-Missouri and have been a fan ever since you were in Real Simple. I come to Springfield some for work, so I will definitely come visit the next time I am! Super grateful for the inspiration you bring to my life! And love it that you are MO girls!
This is such a great review! Now I REALLY want to go!
Laura
http://laurelandfern.com/
Congrats! This place looks amazing! I hope to visit from Phoenix someday soon!
Laura
http://laurelandfern.com/
I simply love this place. So beautiful ! Thanks
Looks amazing. Love the pineapple theme. Everything is so different (wood, tiles, concrete) and yet it all comes together so well. Kind of wish I lived in MO!
Wow congratulations on such an accomplishment. It looks amazing and is totally consistent with ABM. Would love to go if I’m ever in the area.
Emma, can you please open another The Golden Girl Rum Club in Nashville JUST so that I can have a Holy Sh*t Jaws in 3D? Thanks.
Oh WOW!! Makes me want to hop in my car and head that way. So cute ~ Love it ~ congrats!!!!
Congrats! It looks beautiful!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
so, so cool! congratulations!!
www.giltedgeblog.com
I LOVE this! And if I’m ever in the area, this will be a must stop for me.
It looks like a fabulous bar, good luck with everything!
This is very very cool! I was wondering if you would be doing a post about the whole process from brainstorming to opening day- it would be great to hear the story of how you planned, funded, constructed, and finally realized your dream!!
This looks absolutely INCREDIBLE!!!! Every. Single. Detail. I adore the wallpaper, the tiles, and OMG THE GLASSWARE!
I wish I lived in your town – I would be there every day.