Lounge space aims to offer something new

ONE of the city’s hospitality veterans is preparing a different kind of late-night meeting place for Ballarat’s central business district.

After 40 years in the business, Gary Morris has been in what he calls his “showcase period” as he readies to launch his non-alcoholic lounge, rehearsal and art space called Mok Bar later this year.

With the idea in his head for the past six years, Mr Morris said there’s a simple reason behind his offering zero alcoholic beverages.

“The concept is a mocktail bar because I’ve dealt with alcohol all my life in the industry so I want to get away from that and find another alternative,” he said.

“I thought what is there to do at night that doesn’t involve alcohol in Ballarat? There’s non-alcoholic places in Bendigo and Melbourne that are taking off so I’m riding that wave a little.”

Mr Morris said his alcohol-free space is also aimed at bringing something new to Ballarat’s younger demographic.

“I was also looking at an alternative venue for young people because there’s nothing for them to go to at the moment,” he said.

“If you’re between 16 and 18 you can’t go anywhere to sit and hang out so I’m trying to fill a niche where young people can go to as well.

“As soon as they’re 18 they start drinking and I want to show them it doesn’t have to be like that.”

The venue is located at 2/18 Sturt Street, nestled within a second-floor space formerly used as a hairdresser’s during the 1980s.

Mr Morris said the place was “frozen in time,” and he wanted to preserve much of the history of the venue’s past life, with the barbershop’s wall-mirrors, swivel chairs and decade-appropriate posters as part left intact.

With Mr Morris’ cartooning peppering Mok Bar’s staircase entrance, a rotation of artists’ works on display and the capacity for hospitality training, small gigs, and music rehearsals, he said he wants to make the place a hub for creatives.

“A lot’s going on here. This is my brain on the walls,” he said. “I’m a graphic designer as well and involved in hospitality at night so it’s been interlaced in my life.

“I also think of the venue as a place where creative people can come and relax, get a feel for the space and work in here if they want to.”

One of the main aims is training in the areas of hospitality, art, and music. I teach coffee making at the Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre and I’ll touch on general front-of-house as well.

Mr Morris said he aims to officially open the venue around July.

Once open, Mok Bar is set to run from 7.30pm until late from Sundays to Thursdays.