Have bar, will travel…

Have bar, will travel…

Veteran rural publican Pat Hamill sidestepped the decline in bar receipts at his pub near Broughshane in County Antrim by launching an ambitious mobile bar business. It’s been very successful and now he has plans for further expansion…

Most publicans will agree that in order to continue trading successfully in the current economic climate, diversification is essential – simply selling alcohol is no longer enough to guarantee the future of the business.

That’s doubly true in Northern Ireland’s more rural areas as Pat Hamill (56), discovered some years ago when takings at his bar – The Halfway House near Broughshane in County Antrim – began to take a dip.

In an attempt to halt the decline in his business, Pat hit on the idea of creating a mobile bar unit on a 21-foot lorry trailer. He spent £25,000 to install fridges on the trailer along with hot and cold water, optics rails and a bar and began attending outside events such as game fairs and agricultural shows.

“It took us a while to get established and it was difficult in the early days,” recalls Pat. “But people wanted us, we were different and we had a unique service. Then Diageo got involved, they installed a multi-circ system for us and bar taps on the counter which really changed things.

“I was able to switch the system on the night before an event, then when we arrived the next day, we’d be pouring cold draught beer within 10 minutes. Things really took off for us after that thanks to the support we got from Diageo.”

It was the beginning of a business venture that has grown and evolved over the years for Pat. These days, he still runs the trailer bar, but he has also invested in a versatile Zip Bar portable system – made from stainless steel with LED lighting and carpets, it’s an ideal unit for more upmarket events such as corporate get-togethers and weddings.

Pat also recently acquired around 300 feet of mahogany bar units from a bankrupt business in Galway, which has enabled him to further extend the type of events that he’s able to cover – last year, he provided bar facilities when Irish country star, Derek Ryan and his Band, played a concert at the Market Yard in Ballymena. On that occasion, Pat installed 80 feet of bar space for the gig which was attended by more than 1700 people.

“Outside business like this is becoming a more important part – and a bigger part – of what we’re doing all the time,” confirms Pat.

Pat Hamill has been in the bar trade for almost 30 years. Originally from Buckna, a small village at the foot of Slemish mountain, he looked after a bar on William Street in Ballymena for a couple of years in the mid-80s before selling it on. He then spent time looking after his mother, who’d suffered a stroke while off on holiday, then he re-entered the licensed trade, buying the Halfway House in December, 1995.

“To be truthful, the place was pretty run-down when I took it on,” recounts Pat. “There really was only one way I could go with it.”

A shopfitter by trade, Pat spent £60,000 on a refurbishment and extension to the bar, which had been trading on its spot near Broughshane since the 1830s.

The next big change at the bar didn’t come until 2005 when a firebomb attack wrecked the interior:

“The inside of the bar was totally gutted,” says Pat. “It was one of those things, I could sit and cry or get up and put the bar back the way it was. I knew that it had nothing to do with my customers or the people in the local area, it was just two or three headbangers trying to destroy life for everyone. But rather than let myself be beaten, I got a 20-foot container and made it into a bar which I set in the backyard. We were open and serving drink the day after the attack.”

He does concede, however, that for one reason or another, it took him two or three months and £80,000 to set The Halfway House to rights again following the devastating attack.

halfway_5685
The interior at The Halfway House, Aughafatten, near Broughshane.

These days, The Halfway House is a truly family affair – Pat’s sons, Barry and Darren work behind the bar and his daughter, Charlene helps out when she can, as does his wife, Cecilia, who also looks after the accounts.

And despite the bar’s rural location, live music is also on offer every weekend and food is available on Saturdays and Sundays.

“I would say that business is probably up a wee bit over the last 18 months or so,” reports Pat. “I built an off-licence onto the site of the building in 2003 and although people aren’t exactly filling their baskets in there, we get a fairly decent trade because of where we are, I think, we’re not really that near to anything.”

The family did suffer a blow last August, however, when Pat was diagnosed with cancer. Speedy treatment undertaken at the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald means that he’s now in remission although he’s lost 40 per cent of his tongue to the disease.

“My primary concern at the moment has got to be my health,” Pat tells LCN. “But after that, I’m going to be concentrating on the business. We have plans to bring in another Zipbar, which will extend our capabilities even further.

“On one day in July last year, we had equipment at nine different venues at once. And the future is just to keep going. I’m not ready to retire yet, what else would I be doing? I really enjoy what I do, I get to meet lots of amazing people and I’m never in the same place twice in a week. You couldn’t beat it!”

 

outside bar - USE
Pat’s versatile mahogany bar units have allowed him to cater to much larger outdoor events.

 

zipbar USE
The Zipbar unit has been so popular that Pat has ordered another one.