The number of people visiting Surly's has "exceeded expectations" since it quietly opened on Newcastle's Hunter Street a month ago.
Venue manager Joel Ervin said the response had been particularly pleasing considering Surly's Newcastle is "technically still in its soft-opening period".
"Newcastle has certainly hit the ground running. For us, it validates the decision to come here," he said.
Opening quietly was a strategic move.
The original Surly's at Surry Hills, which opened in 2015, is known for its wild and eclectic party vibe.
Surly's Newcastle is a work in progress. The team is taking things slow and ironing out any kinks.
A big and bold launch party is being planned. Watch this space.
"We've had constructive feedback, which is exactly why we chose to soft open rather than pretend everything would be perfect from day one," Ervin said.
"We've been listening closely and continuing to dial in the food, the service, and the way the venue operates.
"We won't be launching bookings until September, and we're deliberately keeping the vast majority of downstairs booking-free. We want to maintain that busy, free-flowing atmosphere on the ground floor and make sure people can still walk in, grab a drink, and watch the big games without needing to plan ahead."
Sport is part of Surly's DNA. There are 20 television screens strategically placed around the venue and the place is reportedly "packed" when NRL games are on.
A 200-inch LED screen takes pride of place in the courtyard.
"We'll open up special bookings for major sporting events like grand finals and the Super Bowl," Ervin said.
"We'll also be launching event bookings soon, with options ranging from dedicated spaces like the arcade or pool table areas through to half and full venue hire.
"We've already had a lot of birthday and company party inquiries, as well as staged a cowboy-themed wedding photo shoot at the venue, so we're pretty open-minded about what people can do with the space - if you can dream it, we can probably make it happen."
The brief was to take what people know and love about Surly's in Surry Hills and "build a Newcastle version of it, rather than simply copying and pasting the original venue".
"A huge part of that was also designing around the incredibly unique building we inherited. It has so much character and so many different spaces that we really wanted to work with what was already there and let the building help shape what Surly's Newcastle became," Ervin said.
"We wanted it to feel unmistakably Surly's - Americana, sport, music, good food, cold beer and a little bit of irreverence - while still feeling like something that belongs specifically in Newcastle."
The eye-catching murals were created by artist and "barbecue influencer" Sigh Luxton to give the venue personality. There are plenty of references to the city throughout, as well as a dedicated "Fireball Alley".
"This is a bit of a Surly's tradition and another fun little piece of the venue people will discover as they explore it," Ervin said.
The multi-storey venue with two mezzanines is, indeed, interesting to explore. There's a natural timber bar, a Fireball bar tucked away near the arcade room, and plenty of nooks to lose yourself in with a beer and brisket platter.
There is even a rooftop area, which is yet to be opened.
"There is another level to the building and we definitely see plenty of potential there, but at the moment our priority is getting the current venue absolutely right before getting too far ahead of ourselves," Ervin said.
"We've certainly got some exciting ideas about what that space could eventually become, but there's nothing we're ready to formally announce just yet.
"Given how unique the building is, we want to make sure that whatever we ultimately do with it is something worthwhile rather than rushing to open another space simply because it's there."
Two beers have been brewed specifically for Surly's: Surly's Steam Beer, a steam ale brewed with The Grifter Brewing Co, and Super Cobra, an American red ale developed with Mountain Culture.
Ervin has been working on some Newcastle-specific signature cocktails inspired by local references and influences.
And the food? It's low-and-slow American barbecue served on platters, or in a burger bun, designed for sharing and eating with your hands.
"Our food itself isn't necessarily designed around being extremely spicy. American barbecue is much more about smoke, seasoning, meat and sauces than simply adding chilli heat for the sake of it," Ervin said.
"Where we do have a bit of fun is with our hot sauce selection. We have a great range available for people who do want to turn things up, including our own collaboration sauce, Surly's Slap Sauce, which we developed with our hot sauce supplier, That Hot Sauce Shop.
"It's a lemony, garlicky, tingly sauce - almost like a Portuguese-style prego sauce, but with a pretty serious kick behind it."
Ervin hopes Surly's will become a "local" for Novocastrians, not just a venue to watch the footy or host a special occasion.
"Sport has obviously been huge for us - when there's a big game on, the venue really comes alive - but what has probably been even more encouraging is seeing people coming through across the whole week," he said.
"We really want people to be able to pull up in our front bar, have a chinwag with the bartenders, soak up some sun, watch a bit of sport, listen to some good tunes and just enjoy being there.
"That neighbourhood bar element is really important to us."
