Birmingham’s newest craft beer bar has opened as a juicy-burger hot spot. It could also become a hip new music venue on the doorstep of Victoria Square, too. Burgers, craft beer, retro games, ping pong and live music plan mean happy customers will be all the range at Kongs bar with Burger Theory! Kitchen.
The stripped-back ‘urban’ look at Kongs is about as intentionally minimalist as you will find anywhere in town.
Operations director Toby Stringer says: “Coming here is all about chilling out and having lots of space.
“We are not about getting people ‘smashed’ and offering lots of deals.”
In fact, if you’ve got a smile your face and a pleasant demeanour, Kongs will even let you in at night if you are wearing ‘scruffy’ trainers and shorts…
Toby adds: “You can be quite ‘scruffy’ and still get in if you are a nice person.
“You can dress how you want – we look for personality, not what’s on your feet.
“We are not a standard bar, more for young professionals from 20 to 40 / 50.”
Bristol-based Burger Theory! will be the ‘resident kitchen’ at Kongs, which replaces the former Chameleon bar at the corner of Swallow Street and Hill Street.
Kongs will employ some 25 staff while Burger Theory! will have seven.
Business partners Toby Stringer and Max Pioli founded Kongs on Bristol’s King Street in 2014.
Toby is more front of house and partnered with staff, while Max makes good use of his business brain behind the scenes.
Neither are food experts, which is why Burger Theory! has joined forces.
By offering customers a bit of everything, Toby says Kongs’ strength will be its cool vibe and package rather than one specific thing.
“I wanted to open a bar and didn’t know exactly what we wanted to do,” says Toby.
“So I took a bit of time out and thought ‘What I would I want?
“I loved craft beer, table tennis, music was a big thing…
“But food wasn’t my area of expertise, so why not get people in who were good at that?
“I thought it was a good concept, but we had to get it right and find the right people for the kitchen.”
From next week, the computer games will include Namco’s Japanese classic Pac-Man, which is arriving from the United States.
Space Invaders is another possibility, but Toby is happy to leave the pinball machine market to Tilt in City Arcade, Union Street.
To play the machines you buy tokens – it’s not like playing slot machines where you are constantly pouring in good money with little chance of winning.
Toby’s instinct is that food sales will be highest at lunchtime, but opening on the same day as the nearby Birmingham German Christmas Market means the next few weeks might not be the best barometer of how things will pan out in 2019.
