New Falkirk beer hall hopes to be open within days

Craft brewer Andrej Rafaj’s dream of opening a new craft beer and music venue is now very close as he was granted another occasional licence for The Rock Bottom, at Unit 5, The Arcade, Callendar Riggs.

Last month, Falkirk Council’s licensing board granted an occasional licence on condition that all the work would be finished and signed off by the council building standards team.

While that didn’t happen in time, on Wednesday, Mr Rafaj told the board that work on the venue – which is being converted from an empty shop in Falkirk’s former bus station – is very close to being finished.

Mr Rafaj, director of Not That California Hospitality, said the building warrant has been approved and an inspector will visit the venue on Thursday for a final check.

If that goes well and all of the services are certified, a building standards officer told councillors that the certificate could be issued on the same day.

The latest occasional licence was again granted on condition that the work has been signed off, that no more than 130 people are in the venue, and that no children are allowed in for the time being.

The venue does not have a kitchen but will have an arrangement with local businesses that food can be delivered to the bar.

Food from Fireaway Pizza, Sanam Tandoori and Three Little Pigs will all be offered via a ‘curated menu’ and delivered to Rock Bottom staff to hand over to customers.

Mr Rafaj is the owner of award-winning craft beer business, Not That California Brewing Company, which makes its beer on the outskirts of California – the small Falkirk village, not its famous American namesake.

He hopes that the new venue will be a “community beer hall” that will host concerts, comedy, theatre and open mic events.

In July, he successfully crowdfunded nearly £12,000 in just 17 days to help get the new venture off the ground.

Since then, progress has been slower than he anticipated and he is now anxiously hoping that Rock Bottom will be open before Christmas.