By Sacha Delfosse
The Riversdale Group is set to open the doors in late September to its new cocktail bar, The Workers, which is located in Sydney’s former blue collar Balmain district.
The name and theme of the new bar reflects the historic Darling St building it is located in, which in the 1890s was used as a trades and labour hall and is also the birth place of the Balmain Labourers Union’s first Labour Electorate League.
“The name the Workers is a respectful nod to the history of the venue and Balmain’s rich Labor party history,” Riversdale Group CEO, Paddy Coughlan, says.
“We’ve added a few fun themed items into the decor and interiors to reflect this, including Labor graphics and large scale modern portraits of party greats, such as Bob Hawke and Gough Whitlam.”
The Labor theme will also be strongly visible for The Workers launch party on September 26, with John Singleton (a partner in the Riversdale Group) organising for his old mate, former Prime Minister Bob Hawke (pictured), to officially open the venue.
Tim Freedman from The Whitlams will also be performing at the opening, and there will be live music on offer every Thursday night.
The venue will be decked out in fluoro Louis XV lounges and also incorporates an indoor green wall and a quirky garden balcony.
The food offer will be centred on Mexican snacks and the bar will be serving an extensive range of wines and beers as well as a cocktail list designed by former Lo-Fi bartender, Ben Johnson, who will also be managing the bar at the new venue.
“We wanted to be sure everything was right behind the bar and know that in Ben’s hands locals really will get the experience that has been missing from Balmain,” Coughlan says.