We chat with the owners of Eastbourne’s newest restaurant – Smokehouse 89
Sooooo lockdown is lifting, restaurants are opening and that includes a brand new restaurant – Smokehouse 89. You will find Smokehouse 89 where Old Dave’s was located or Sticky Fingers depending on how far we need to go back. Smokehouse will be serving up classic American style BBQ, cooked traditionally low n’ slow in our in-house smoking ovens. We’re pretty excited for this one opening, so we thought we’d have a chat with owners Angela, Olive and Anton.
Tell us a little bit about your background. Have you always been in hospitality?
We live and breath hospitality!
As a family we have a combined experience of over 20 years in hospitality. Individually we have ran everything from Hotels to gastro pubs, cocktail bars to nightclubs. We have also owned businesses in other sectors including logistics and vehicle hire.
What inspired you to start an American restaurant?
We have always wanted to own our own restaurant in Eastbourne as we are all self confessed foodies. After years of living and traveling abroad we have tried a vast range of cuisine. Along the way we gained a love for slow cooked smokey bbq to the point we were traveling frequently from Eastbourne to London just to get our fix!
What were the first steps you took to put everything into motion?
We spent 6 months honing the perfect business plan and went through several stages of product development. We knew the heart of our restaurant would lie in the best quality local meat and a great selection of premium cocktails and craft beer.
We chose our premises for its fantastic location in ‘little Chelsea’ and signed the lease in October 2020. We spent a further 6 months completing a huge refurbishment including a full kitchen and bar refit.
Tell us a little about the name?
Quite simply our working title was ‘smokehouse’ so after we got the keys to 89 South Street the name ’Smokehouse 89’ seemed to just fit
You started working on the restaurant during lockdown, have you faced any challenges or surprises?
Its been both a blessing and a curse for us as a family. Obviously we faced the same uncertainty as many other small business owners faced during lockdown, but with all of our other businesses unable to trade, it gave us the opportunity to fully concentrate on making smokehouse 89 the best it could be. We are proud to say that 90% of the work was carried out by us, with a little help along the way.
How did you choose what went on the menu? Was it a lot of trial and error?
Yes…. It was a lot of very delicious trial and error. We only wish we didn’t have to wait hours on end for the smokers to do their work.
If you had to choose one menu item to eat forever what would it be?
Please don’t make us choose! We all have our own favourite main and this has been the source of many a heated discussion.
What makes Smokehouse 89 unique?
We have strived to source as much of our produce as possible from local suppliers. Even down to our own branded craft beer which is brewed in Brighton. Eastbourne has so many restaurants, but we feel our blend of in-house smoked meat, fantastic vegan options, craft beer and premium cocktails will give eastbourne something that is not currently offered.
What do you think would be the perfect 3-course meal at smokehouse 89?
Picture this… its date night. You’ve started off strong with a pint of our very own smokehouse 89 pale ale (4.1%) – or one our thick, creamy shakes for the designated driver? You’ve ordered a bowl of BBQ pork scratchings, served with warm apple sauce, just to get your appetite going. And then it arrives, our house speciality ‘The 89’er’ a sharing tray, recommended for 2 people, piled with a selection of our signature smoked meats, served with brioche rolls, fresh pickles, homemade apple slaw and warm Cherry Bourbon BBQ sauce (lets face it you’ve ordered a few sides as well, because who can resist BBQ fries and beer battered onion rings?). button-poppingly full, you can’t help but finish off with one of our soft serve ice cream sundaes!
How do you want your guests to feel, what do you want the atmosphere to be like?
We want our guests to feel relaxed and not afraid to get stuck in with their hands. We want to offer a casual dining experience for all ages
When you will be open?
We will be open to the public from Tuesday the 18th after a small private soft launch on the 17th to say thank you to everyone who has been involved in bringing this project to life.
Make sure to follow Smokehouse 89 over on Facebook here.
Images via the Smokehouse 89 FB page here.
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