Beehive to be best in west with £700k investment

The Beehive bar in west Belfast  is undergoing a £700,000 refurb which will see it open two extra floors to cater for new entertainment nights including a monthly comedy club.

Owner Phil Bannon says the first phase of the bar’s six-figure refurb is nearing completion, with the first of its comedy nights due to take place at the end of January, headlined by West Belfast favourite Ciaran Bartlett.

Phil has owned the Falls Road establishment for the last 15 years, but the bar itself has been around since the 1800s, surviving a car bomb at its doors in 1972.

“It’s something we always wanted to do but Covid and a few other things got in the way.

“The first phase is the first floor where we will have a state of the art sound system perfect for all sorts of events.

“The next phase we are looking at is the second floor which we hope to use as a function room, then after that we are looking at the ground floor and opening a coffee shop in one section of it as well.

“The main driver for us is going to be entertainment, comedy nights, live music and whatever else we can think of.

“When the project is finished and we have everything operating, it will completely change the feel of the area, that’s how much of an impact we think it’s going to have.

“What we have had here over the last 15 years compared to what we want to have at the end of this – it’s a complete overhaul.

“People are telling me that it’s exactly what ‘the Road’ needs and that they can’t wait to see it, and everyone has been very positive about it.

“We’re never going to turn our backs on the customers we have had, but it’s a whole new type of customer we will be hoping to see come through the doors now.”