A NEW country and western bar, coffee shop and diner is set to bring a taste of America to Hamworthy.
Honky Tonk Collective is the brainchild of husband-and-wife team Ben and Ayshe Sinclair and will open its doors in August.
Ayshe, 34, said the pair have been country music fans for many years and recognised the need for a themed venue in the south of England.
“Ben was a country fan long before me and he wore me down and I started listening to it and fell in love with it,” she said.
“We've just spent the last few years going to festivals and concerts and things like that.
“So, when I left my job last April, I spent about 15 years in the motor trade and decided I wanted to work for myself. And then we found this unit and it was like, let's just do it.
“Let's make it happen. So here we are.”
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The pair are in a number of country Facebook groups and have seen the ‘amazing’ bars in the north, with many people calling for something nearer.
They decided if no one else was going to do it, they would ‘make it happen’.
Ben, 38, is an on-call firefighter at Hamworthy fire station and is working full time, while also building the venue ahead of its opening.
Once finished, the venue will host the Bell Bottom Coffee Shop, selling coffee roasted in Winterbourne Kingston, along with cakes and sandwiches.
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It will have a well-stocked bar, hosting events like live music and quiz nights, and will be an O’Donnell moonshine dealer, so people can try, drink and buy the classic American prohibition tipple.
Outside, the venue’s kitchen, Noshville, will serve up loaded fries, pancake stacks and shakes, with plans to expand the menu as the venue grows.
Ema from Shorties Barbers, which is on the same site as the venue, has been a ‘massive help’ as it has been moving towards opening.
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Ayshe said: “Obviously we're really nervous because it's such a massive thing, but the response that we've had on social media has been incredible, which is really important to us, that people like what we're doing and want to support us as well.
“So, we're really excited.”
Honky Tonk Collective will be opening on August 3. It can be found in Allens Lane, Hamworthy.
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