Stuart Ridgway and Steve Fletcher with Stefanie Carpenter.
Camera IconStuart Ridgway and Steve Fletcher with Stefanie Carpenter. Credit: Supplied/David Baylis        www.communitypix.com.au d442192

Bar almost ship shape

Julian WrightEastern Reporter

The bar is the first business venture for Bassendean neighbours Steve Fletcher and Stuart Ridgway, who have infused some of their personality into the venue on Old Perth Road.

The men, who can sometimes be found rowing early in the morning on the Swan River in Bayswater, have installed boats into the ceiling as part of the theme.

"We have installed the skeleton of the boats; normally you have a canvas on the back and front, but we wanted to expose the woodwork," Mr Ridgway said.

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"These don't get made anymore; the last ones probably got made in the 1970s, now they're all carbon fibre."

Mr Fletcher said the pair had other surprises in store for patrons when the bar opened.

"We don't want people to notice things straight away, we want them to come in for the second or third time and find things," he said.

The men said they came up with the idea for the bar three years ago when other developments happened in Bassendean.

"Looking at what was going on in Bassendean with the shops and new apartment blocks, we thought it would be a good time to start something for people in the area," Mr Ridgway said.

"We anticipated it would take about three years to open the bar because we had to wait the first year for the space to be vacant."

The bar will have a function room and kitchen at the back of the property, which has just been built, with hopes of an alfresco dining area at the front.

When the function room is not booked out, community groups will be able to use the space for meetings.

Venue manager Stefanie Carpenter brings with her more than eight years of hospitality experience in Perth and Paris.