Merivale is set to open the doors of its latest venue this Friday, 19 April, with JAM Record Bar being described as a passion project for Merivale CEO Justin Hemmes and his sister Bettina.
The bar is named after parents and Sydney hospitality pioneers, John and Merivale Hemmes. JAM was conceptualised by Justin and designed by Akin Atelier alongside Bettina and Merivale’s in-house design and styling team.
After founding ‘Merivale’ in the ‘50s, John and Merivale launched JAM Jeans, opened the clothing store JAM Shop, and released their own record titled JAM. The family legacy continued when Justin started JAM Recordings in 2003, a music label which founded the Good Vibrations music festival which toured nationally until 2012.
In a statement about the opening, Merivale said: “The little yet loud bar houses a collection of 15,000 vinyl records with a menu of Japanese-inspired snacks by sushi e Head Chef, Michael Fox and cocktails by Merivale’s Creative Cocktail Lead, James Irvine.
“Interiors nod to the listening bars of Tokyo but with a twist, a ‘surround sound’ experience of 100 per cent pink plywood, cork and ‘Pink Batt’ insulation is designed to create the feeling of sitting inside a giant speaker box.”
James’ cocktail list goes big on Highball, Old-Fashioned and Margarita. To match with the food’s Japanese theme there is also sake, on offer, as well as fizz, pink, red, white, and orange wines, from here and abroad.
JAM Record Bar will open the afternoon of Friday 19 April.
