Bunker Club

[Pete]

Formerly announced in the release today of the local podcast We Apologize for the Inconvenience, Ian and Hailey McDermid, proprietors of the popular Pump Bar, are planning a new bar just a few doors to the east in the Tower Theater: The Bunker Club.

The McDermid have leased the far west space in the Tower, combining with the soon-to-come Savings & Loan to form bookends in the theater development.

The Bunker will occupy the space which features a historic jewel box store front as well as rare green Vitrolite glass, which was recently restored

According the Hailey McDermid, the theme will be “post war atomic era dive bar” with design elements and sounds from the Cold War. The custom furniture is currently being built and stationary bar stools will line a bar along the western wall. Similar to the Pump, sparkly Naugahyde vinyl will be used extensively.

The Bunker will also feature small round booths and some cocktail table video games which will be offered as free play.

Ian McDermid prefers to think of the service model as "tavern-line" where instead of table service patrons will interact much more directly with the bartender. The Bunker will be dark and non-smoking.

20 beers on taps focusing heavily on local brews and inexpensive domestics. Drinks will be "inexpensive".

Little to no food will be offered and the McDermids will encourage carry-in food from the various other restaurants in the Uptown area.

Construction should start soon with an opening targeted for spring.

[HangryHippo]

Sounds...interesting. Good to see development continue on 23rd though!

[Pete]

I've know about this for a while and in fact, met Ian at the space last week where he described the theme in detail.

First of all, the storefront alone is bitchin'.

Secondly, Ian & Hailey really know what they are doing and have earned ample respect for the job at what they've done at Pump Bar. And of course, they've built a huge following there.

I love these smaller, more intimate bars where people interact, you get to know the bartender, etc.


Uptown is really becoming a very cool place, with lots more to come.

[Urbanized]

That is one of the few storefronts of that type remaining in OKC. Those were built primarily to appeal to people walking down a sidewalk, so they were mostly built in downtown areas. We had hundreds of them, most of which were lost to the urban renewal era. They allow for such great sidewalk interaction. When I visit other cities that have retained their historic urban fabric I think those storefronts stand out to me as much as just about anything, and OKC is worse off from an urban redevelopment and HP standpoint that we don't have more. Glad to see this one get new life, and crazy happy about who the operators are.

[Pete]

Similar storefront at 603 NW 23rd and we just learned this week it will also be preserved and repurposed.

[David]

Pete, I'm assuming that's this one, 603 NW 23rd St, catty-corner across from Big Truck Tacos?

[Pete]

Pete, I'm assuming that's this one, 603 NW 23rd St, catty-corner across from Big Truck Tacos?

Yes.

Same type of store front that will be featured in the redevelopment of that property.

[twade]

Really intrigued by the theme. One of those "never thought I wanted it, but I do" type of things. Can't wait to see it come together.

[dankrutka]

First of all, the storefront alone is bitchin'.

I don't know why, but I really loved this description.

[gopokes88]

Sweet a new bar to hit up.

Ian you are a genius.

"Inexpensive domestics" - so $3 bud/miller/coors? Drink a few expensive local brews, switch to some cheap beer to keep the tab reasonable. Genius.

[IanMcDermid]

Thanks for the write-up Pete! Thank you also for waiting on us before you published. We did the reveal on a podcast with our neighbors at We Apologize For The Inconvenience yesterday. And it's up now on their site, we talked about our first year plus some history of the pump, the new reveal, Stephen Tyler's new creative studio at the tower theater, and an anecdote about how I accidentally served a woman 16 shots of Jager at a black label society concert.

I have to redact a bit I said about 23rd might being the only walkable block in OKC it wasn't a fully formed statement and I was thinking about a future version of 23rd with a grocer, fingers crossed.

The theme is hard to describe. All I can say is just trust us. And we'll be careful not to put too many coats of theme into it. Decor is a better word. And we won't have any drinks called fallout punch or 3 mile island iced tea. Even though I think that last one is kinda cute

[Teo9969]

I love this "Carry-In" concept

[Bullbear]

I think you are allowed at least one Cheesy themed Drink.. 3 mile island Iced tea is a winner.. lol

[catch22]

By tavern line, does that mean there won't be servers and you go to the bartender to order your drink and then bring it back to your table?

If so, and I will offer some unsolicited advice from my experience with several bars doing that here in Portland: make sure the bussers allow time to see if a table is dead before clearing it. My friend and I went to a bar similar to this, we ordered drinks and went back to the table. About halfway through our drinks we went back to the bar to get a food menu. Came back to a completely empty and bussed table. We were up for no longer than 2 minutes. And our already paid for, half consumed drinks were gone! A different bar with the same service style, I put my coaster on top of my drink (somewhat universal for don't take my drink I'll be right back). I came back from the bathroom to a completely bussed and reseated table. I not only lost half of the drink I paid for, but I also lost my table.

So it does provide great interaction with the bartender, but I would reinforce the staff to wait a few minutes before clearing a table, unless it's blatantly obvious the party has left. Or maybe some kind of signaling device to indicate that the patrons got up, but are still very much still sitting there.

[Pete]

By tavern line, does that mean there won't be servers and you go to the bartender to order your drink and then bring it back to your table?

Yes, and you are expected to drop off your empties, too.

[Urbanized]

Regarding the vinyl on the sparkly vinyl on the seats, I went up to Lawrence for the OU-KU hoops game, and the place where I had breakfast had exactly the same upholstery in their booths. I told the owner that one of my favorite bars in OKC had the same stuff on their seating, and proceeded to try to find a photo online. Took a while before I found one with a corner of a booth in the pic. Most Pump photos are outside, of course. But she oohed and awwed at those (lots of great pump pics online). Then she saw a pic of Ian and Hailey and brightened right up. I think she saw kindred spirits. She said "well, now I'm thinking my next trip should be to OKC!"

By the way, according to Meg (the owner) that is bass boat vinyl. Makes sense.

[bradh]

bass boat vinyl....love that name

Cold War themed? Sign me up, looking forward to this!

[bchris02]

Being that this is Cold War themed, what type of music will be playing there?

[gopokes88]

Any timeline for an opening?

[bradh]

Being that this is Cold War themed, what type of music will be playing there?

yeah that covers a pretty large time frame and many genres

[shawnw]

Yeah but given our age ranges I'd think "late cold war" (e.g. 70s-80s)... or maybe you call it post-Vietnam Cold War era... logical enough division...

[David]

I'm thinking Fallout style music.

[Dubya61]

99 luft balloons

[Urbanized]

[Urbanized]