Chic decor, quality service pops in

Portarlington’s newest gem is pouring out wine and quality time as two local residents open the doors on their passion project.

With shared backgrounds in hospitality, Mark Carey and Gary Hsing have carefully crafted and designed Pop’s Wine Bar.

Serving local wine and some bottles from further afield, along with cocktails and the accompaniment of charcuterie boards, the new venue envisions a space where people can come together and relax.

The bar’s name comes from Carey’s grandfather, who was the headmaster of the state school in Portarlington in the 1960s. The story of his grandparents inspired the vision for the bar to come to life.

Since opening, the space has well been visited, with people keen to get a taste of the new business even before its first day of trading.

 

“We were just hit, people wanted it, they loved the vibe of it, it’s been busy every day that we’ve been open,” Carey said.

“Local support has been excellent and even the holiday makers who come down to their holiday houses every now and again and the caravan park just love that there’s something new.”

Although being open for a short amount of time, the pair are enjoying working with their customers, saying the interaction with people has been the most fulfilling and rewarding.

“We’ve been in town for eight years, but we’re still now finding new people in town and that network has become really good,” Carey said.

The venue has also created a space where locals and friends have naturally come together, with one describing it as an old English pub.

“People come in the front door, they’ll see somebody they know and then the tables are getting joined together and it’s been great.”

 

Supporting the community was an intentional decision made before opening the bar, donating recycled can money to the Bellarine SES and supporting the football and netball club.

“Portarlington has to survive on the community, you’ve got to have all your locals behind you wherever you can, the holiday and tourist market’s great, but it’s the locals that mean the most to you,” Carey said.

Carey and Hsing both hope people who visit their bar had an experience that made them want to come back, and that people know they are there when they want to enjoy some quality wine.

“We want them to feel like we may be really packed in here, or really busy but that they get the attention they deserve, and we want them to come back a second, third, fourth time,” Carey said.

“We want them to feel like they’re the only people here even if we’re busy.”

The space was designed to be city chic with soft furnishings and warm lighting creating a venue where customers feel relaxed, comfortable and cozy.

When the pair took over, along with a coat of paint and fresh decor, they also added acoustic panelling to reduce the amount of noise guests would experience.

 

“People are saying they can still talk while they’re having a wine or something to eat,” Carey said.

“We just want people to have a nice environment to come to, and that’s what I think is so different to other venues where you’ve got to shout to have a conversation.”

Carey believes what sets Pop’s Wine Bar apart from others is its owners, with both dedicated to customers and driven to see the business success.

“We’re here every day, we love interacting with the customer and we take pride in it and we’re proud of the wines we have,” he said.

“I think people can tell we love interacting with people, normally other places you have to go up to the bar and order, but we provide table service, even though we don’t have to.

“We make sure the people here who are having wine are well hydrated, we do the water well, and things you don’t really see that often in other businesses.”

 

Quality is also a strong focus for the co-owners, ensuring their offerings are the best they can be.

“I think that shows in how we’ve decked it out, we try and cater for everyone’s taste as well, and food allergies, we always check before we offer any nibbles or anything,” Carey said.

Hsing said that for him especially, good service was front of mind.

“I’m very pedantic when I go to a place, and I find a lot of places are lacking the passion in what they do, here we focus on providing the good service.”

Carey and Hsing encourage everyone to come into the bar, saying there’s no one demographic they are targeted at.

“Somebody commented the other day that they thought our demographic was probably 50 plus, but a lot of younger people love wine,” Carey said.

“I was really shocked with that because only that day we’d had a young couple sitting here and they knew exactly the wines wanted.

“They love coming into an intimate space and spending some quality time where they can actually talk.”

As the cooler months approach, Pop’s Wine Bar is focused on the finer details, getting outside ready for winter with blinds and heaters to create the cozy atmosphere its customers have come to love.

For more, head to Pop’s Wine Bar on Facebook or visit popswinebar.com.au