A landmark bar in the Merchant City, taking up an imposing corner alongside the City Chambers and the Italian Centre, Committee Room No. 9 has just launched a new menu and a new look for the summer. We asked manager Liam Kerr to talk us through what’s been going on in the venue.
What was the idea behind the refurbishment?
It just needed a few changes to keep up with some of the events that we want to have here and to improve the bar. At the same time we’ve introduced a new menu. In the function room we’re set up for any kind of meetings and we’re also set up for weddings – we’ve had a wedding in there already and we have another two weddings booked in for May.
The room is very adaptable now, ready for anything.
Then in the main bar, we’ve put in four massive screens there. That’s to get ready for the Euros coming up and to build on the kind of atmosphere we’ve had here around events like the Superbowl and the Commonwealth Games.
So are you turning into a sports bar then?
No we’re not changing, we wouldn’t say we are a sports bar. We try to cater to all different types of groups. When the sports are on, we’ll have the six screens now, more than any other bar in Glasgow.
We’ve had big groups in for the Superbowl and if there is a big sporting event then we’re ready for it, but there’s a lot on beside from that.
When’s the new menu being launched?
The launch is today actually. We’re passing around some free samples later and showcasing what we will be doing now. It’s the same chef in the kitchen but we’re trying more exciting options and we’re doing a lot of different sharing platters now which will hopefully suit folk when they are in here watching the football.
You have the option of that instead of a full meal. And then we’ve got special deals like Wings Wednesday where you can have a kilo of chicken wings and a beer for a tenner and then on a Thursday you can have any of the burgers or hot dogs and a beer for a tenner. [You can find the new menu here]
What’s it like running a bar in the Merchant City? What are the advantages and challenges? I mean, there’s a lot of passing traffic but there’s a lot of competition as well.
Well the thing is, we feel we are a wee bit out the road, we’re not really on a Merchant City drinking circuit as much as some of the nearby pubs. If we were just a bit closer to George Square we could rely on passing traffic but you have to actually come to the Committee Room. It’s not like you can just open your doors and hope people walk in. Those days are long gone. So we work at it, invite groups in, offer different events and food.
I was speaking to the owner of Two Fat Ladies and he said that he feels the food scene in Glasgow has got very commercial. He didn’t necessarily mean that in a bad way, he just meant that every big restaurant brand or pub brand sees Glasgow as a must-have location. Your pub is part of a group but it’s a Glasgow group, how do you compete with the big chains from all over the UK?
I agree with that, it is difficult at the moment for any Glasgow bar but we’ve a great venue here and we work hard at providing something entertaining every night. We have an acoustic night on a Thursday which connects us with a lot of local talent.
We have DJs on a Friday and a Saturday. We’ll have live bands at least once a month. Then when the sport is on we do really well and try to bring a sense of occasion to it. Then we do functions and private dining upstairs. You need to have all of these things. We sponsor the Strathclyde University football team and we have a good relationship with a lot of the teams and student societies there.
When we look at some of our neighbours, there are venues that have changed hands two or three times since we opened here. Places open and close all the time in the Merchant City. You’ll notice yourself when you wander around, the city is constantly changing. Whenever a place closes someone new will always want to go in and open a restaurant or a café or a bar, but you can’t just open your door and expect it to work.
Right, so we’ll see you for a sharing platter and a pint during the Euros then?
Euro 2016 is going to be massive for us, we can’t wait to get everyone in supporting all the different teams and then the Scotland World Cup qualifiers and the new football season beyond that.
