Chuck Brault said he officially took over the Westbury, 261 S. 13th St., from former owner Ned Katuran on Aug. 11.
Brault and other staffers have been renovating the space ever since, hauling out old equipment and bringing in new fixtures, and are open for business beginning 5 p.m. weekdays and noon on weekends. He expects to have the renovations finished by mid-September.
“We’re completely redoing the interior as far as the décor is concerned,” Brault said. “We’re going for more of an eclectic, industrial look.”
In the past week, the workers have installed three flat-screen plasma televisions, and plan to affix three more before the renovations are complete. The new TVs measure 42 and 50 inches and are replacing the 13- and 19-inch tube televisions previously used in the bar.
“With the flat screens, there will be great opportunities for people to come in and watch games, so in that respect we are leaning a bit more toward a sports bar,” Brault said of the venue’s new direction.
Patrons looking to drown their sorrows if the Phils are trailing behind or celebrate when the Eagles are flying high can partake in the new, wider selection of beverages at Westbury.
Brault is replacing the former six-tap system with a new 12-tap dispenser, which will serve just two domestic beers and 10 Belgian and micro or craft brews. Domestic-beer lovers should not fret, however, as Brault said he has “installed new coolers under the bar, and what domestic beers we don’t carry on tap we will have bottled.”
The bar is also expanding its micro and Belgian-bottled selection to at least 25 different varieties; just within the past week, Brault said, he’s already acquired more than a dozen labels. The Westbury will also serve Australian wine, instead of the domestic wine served by the former owner.
Brault said the establishment’s restaurant will also update and refresh its selections.
Most of the bartenders under the former owner will stay on, but Brault said he’s brought in all new kitchen and waitstaff and is continuing to hire.
Brault is openly gay, while Katuran was not, and said he’s “definitely planning to contribute to the [LGBT] community” through charity functions and other events.
In October, the Westbury will host a silent auction featuring items from throughout the bar’s long tenure in the local LGBT community, with all proceeds going to the Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutritional Alliance, which provides meals to those with life-threatening illnesses, such as HIV/AIDS.
Brault said he anticipates the redesigned Westbury to be a diverse gathering spot for LGBT and ally individuals.
“We are certainly going to be welcoming to everyone and encouraging everybody to come in.”
Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.
I will take my dollars elsewhere.
But how many LGBT people really care about sports? Maybe 30%. Most go to gay bars to watch people not sports. Music is much better than screaming TV's.