A sophisticated bar in Hamilton has new and exciting additions on the horizon for the new year.

Bungalow 56, opened a few of years ago, is located on Reid Street above the health store Down to Earth.

Glen Wilks, the owner, believes the bar is continuing to grow.

“We are in the process of climbing that trajectory but I would not say we have achieved critical mass at this point,” he said.

“Bungalow 56 is more than just a bar, it is a social place people can express themselves in an intimate setting.”

Mr Wilks mentioned that the aim was to create a place where people can really feel at home and have a sense of comfort and connect with each other.

“By the time you add features like film, music, paintings on the walls, the stage is set for the sort of atmosphere that encourages dialogue and very authentic interactions in a pretty sublime sort of way if that makes sense.

“I also think for most commercial environments it is quite the opposite, and not that we are not commercially driven but it’s more a meeting of culture and commerce. We want our guests to leave feeling richer for having visited.”

Bungalow 56’s concept is described as cross-pollution, where it attempts to narrow the distance between people and cultures.

“We curate what we call B56TALKS on any number of topics, we are currently working on an ongoing jazz/blues vibe at the moment. We host an all-female band Stiletto 5 every other Friday, plus people have used the space for album or book launches, cupcake design and decorating, sip and paint, all sorts,” he said.

In addition to the existing events the bar has new features planned for 2018.

“We want a rum and reggae vibe that we did before. We did a few of genre-specific musical sets, some of that proper pure-vinyl sets. We definitely want to deliver more of the sports and other programming for the people that want to host a bunch of friends in their home away from home sort of vibe.”

The bar has the ability to offer catering for specific events and parties.

“We have a very strong catering arm in WilksCatering and a very friendly and professional bar team that delivers excellent service.

“At Bungalow, we put a lot of emphasis in delivering sophisticated experience without special effects, or that is contrived or pretentious in anyway.”

He said Bungalow 56 has created a platform for local talent to utilise the space and share their craft.

“We always have an open invitation for more people to join the Bungalow family, utilise our space and the platform we provide to share their ideas, to come out and meet new people in a very inclusive and authentic environment.”

The hours of operation are Thursday 5pm to midnight, Friday 5pm to 3am and Saturday 10pm to 3am. For special events the hours vary.

For more information about upcoming events visit the Facebook page @Bungalow 56 or call 599-5292. For information on event bookings and queries e-mail Glen.Wilks5@gmail.com