YOU don’t need that much space to open a bar in London - an unused shipping container would give you plenty of room.
These might sound like the confident claims of boozy friends enjoying an after-work pint, but they are actually statements of fact - facts which Irish entrepreneur Sebastian O’Driscoll can attest to.
The Co. Cork native has recently realised a version of his long-held dream to open a bar with a sporting/Irish theme and a community-minded ethos.
But what’s unique about his venture is that the watering hole is located inside a repurposed shipping container in south London which can fit about 35 people inside comfortably.
And while it’s a little smaller than he had imagined, O’Driscoll’s Six Yard Box in Elephant and Castle lacks nothing in personality and has plenty of punters.
This week he shared his top tips for opening a bar in a shipping container with The Irish Post...
1 Be prepared to work hard
Six Yard Box is located in The Artwork Elephant collective in Elephant and Castle“I took on the lease for the container in December and built the bar – putting in the walls, the bar, everything, over Christmas - in time to open in January, and I am still working on it today. Making changes here and there. You are always learning as you go”
2 Face up to your biggest challenge – space!
“Space is the greatest challenge of having a bar in a shipping container, for sure. We have had to be creative with that - this week, for instance, I am in the process of shaving inches off all of my furniture.”
3 Compromise
“There is a balance to be struck always and compromises to be made on utility and getting things in comfortably. You get used to that and it helps.”
4 Get your punters to help you improve the décor
Panini stickers became currency at the Six Yard Box in a bid to brighten up the place“We found early on that the low ceiling of the container was an issue for the bar - so we decided to cover it with Panini football stickers and asked customers to help us out. That was really successful – they became currency at the bar for a bit. And I am still open to Panini offers now!!”
5 Think about temperature
“You need to deal with how to keep it warm in the winter and cool in the summer, especially when you have a bar full of people. We have a handle on that now, but again that was a learning curve which we learnt along the way.”
6 Get to know your neighbours
“There is a great sense of community here at The Artworks Elephant collective, where we are based, and it’s great to be in a community of businesses all operating out of former shipping containers – as you are all in it together. We come to each other for advice, but we also support each other’s businesses. For example, I have all the menus for the food outlets based around me here in the bar, so my customers can make a telephone order from the bar and they will deliver their food to them here.”
A steady stream of regulars are already growing attached to Sebastian's small but perfectly formed bar7 And your regulars…
“When I first opened I had friends in all the time but wasn’t sure if we would ever pick up a steady stream of regulars. Now we have plenty. There’s a great mix of them too – some who live in the area, others who are working here and a steady stream of Irish people from across London who come along to have a drink, watch a match or simply to catch up with friends. I even took a group of them on a local beer tasting tour recently, so they could help choose the drinks they wanted us to serve at the bar. That was a great day out.”
The Six Yard Box is located at The Artworks in Elephant Road. For further information click here
