Fans of MEATiquor's distinctive brand of dining have been waiting patiently for a Bristol restaurant for some time, with an original opening date for its Stokes Croft site slated for April 2015. Since then, news about the launch went worryingly quiet, with some even speculating that it wasn't going to open at all.
After just peeking inside a furiously active shopfitting site and chatting to founders Yianni Papoutsis and Scott Collins, not only can we reveal that the plan is firmly back in action, the new restaurant should be open for late November.
Scott Collins (l), Yianni Papoutsis (r)
We're sure you've got questions. So, here's what we know:
Where is Bristol MEATliquor?
The new restaurant is found at 77 Stokes Croft, next to Turbo Island and across the road from The Canteen. Like most of Yianni and Scott's previous sites, they've opted for a spot that isn't too prim and proper and is well suited to MEATliquor's grungy style.
What's been the hold up?
The plan to open a restaurant in Bristol started back in 2013, when Loungers founders and Cosy Club owners Alex Reilley and Jake Bishop gave the London-based MEATliquor pair a tour of the city.
Securing the Stokes Croft site shortly after that, the transformation of what was previously the Dynamic Heating Services store (and at some point in the mid 1900s, Blundell's department store) has been delayed by building problems, most significantly the discovery and safe removal of asbestos.
As this lengthy process was dealt with, the pair focused their energy (and cash flow) into other sites, including a MEATliquor in Leeds and one in Singapore, which opened earlier in 2015.
Shed
What's it going to be like inside?
If other sites are anything to go by, expect a rough and ready, neon-lit American rock diner with black and white psychedelic artwork.
Of course, nobody sets up shop in Stokes Croft without absorbing something of the local culture, so legendary Bristol street artist Inkie has lent his talents to the decor and all fittings have been reclaimed and refurbished wherever possible.
The front bar, for example, has been created from the graffiti-covered wooden hoardings that previously surrounded the building. The renders of the finished restaurant, which will seat up to 80, also suggest some of the scaffolding might make a reappearance, too...
MEATliquor
Isn't MEATliquor just a burger joint?
When Yianni first met Scott in Peckham 2009, he was operating the (original, since stolen) MEATwagon burger truck and Scott was working for a business opening gastropubs. The pair formed a business partnership that led first to the Meateasy pop-up in New Cross, London, then the first permanent MEATliquor on Wellbeck Street in 2011.
The success of the business caught them by surprise and they now have a popular brand name that doesn't necessarily reflect all that they do.
For starters, we're told the Stokes Croft site will have (in addition to its award-winning halloumi and mushroom burger) more veggie and vegan dishes than any other MEATliquor, some exciting plans for otherwise boring baked potatoes and around eight new additions to the menu.
So, while there's certainly plenty of meat and plenty of liquor, there'll be much more to it than that.
Artist Inkie at work
MEATliquor, 77 Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3RD
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