Some of you might remember when I announced that I was starting a new business with Trey and a few friends in our hometown, Springfield, MO. We had just bought a very brown building and had plans to fill it with a bar! A few weeks ago we officially opened The Golden Girl Rum Club, and I am SOOOO excited to give you a little virtual tour today.
Here’s a before and after peek of our space.
So many things changed – where do I even begin! We added another bathroom, a kitchen, a bar, back bar storage, a second (emergency) exit, a garage door, lots of tile, wallpaper, a neon sign, tables, chairs, and everything in between (like plumbing, electrical, drywall, etc.). Our building is located on our city’s square and therefore is quite old, so it got a major facelift this year – it feels so fresh and new now.
I love SO much about our bar, but I wanted to point out just a few details on the tour. First up, our “Endless Summer” neon light.
Originally we had planned to install this above the backbar. But it ended up making more sense on this wall that you see when you walk in the front door. I had already picked out wallpaper for this space. And I think the two ended up looking really cool together, even though that wasn’t what we had planned.
In case you’re curious, our wallpaper is Brazilliance from Dorothy Draper. It was installed by Robbie and her team at CoverGirls. If you are in Springfield, MO and need a pro wallpaper hanger, Robbie is THE gal. I don’t think she has a website, but email me and I’ll give you her number (emma@abeautifulmess.com).
Another fun detail is this pineapple guy we installed toward the back (towards the bathrooms and kitchen). We kept the concrete floors and chose to just seal them, but the back of the building had this kind of faux wood linoleum that we replaced with mostly white hexagon tile and then this little pineapple guy.
It’s for shoe pics. Obviously.
Another really fun detail is this original painting from a very talented friend, Daniel Zender. It’s so fun, right?! And it only gets better in the dark. 😉
Speaking of talented designers, check out our menu that Rogan put together. He not only created our logo and menu, he also crafted many of the original cocktails that we serve.
Yeah, he’s pretty cool I guess.
He also designed these pins (with our logo). And yes, we sell them at the bar too.
The other mastermind behind many of our cocktails and the business as a whole is Josh Widner. Luckily Josh was around when we were shooting these pictures so he threw together a few of my favorite drinks for you to see.
Almost every night that I am at the bar someone will ask me what my favorite drink on our menu is. And it’s SUCH a tough question because I sincerely like every single one of them. And yes, I have tried all of them.
So even though I don’t think I can pick just one favorite, I must admit I’m pretty crazy for this one, which is called Holy Sh*t Jaws in 3D. Yes, it comes in a shark mug so it’s already pretty epic. But it’s also got some pretty amazing flavors going on including green chartreuse, which is very herby and really complex tasting.
It’s weird. I like it.
You might be thinking, why did you guys install a garage door? Well, this spring we plan to expand a little by adding an outdoor patio area, pretty much exactly where you see me walking in the above photo. We will then be able to open the garage door and people can spill out into the patio area without ever leaving the bar. I’ll share some pics when it’s finished.
Thank you SO much to everyone who has already come out to check out The Golden Girl Rum Club these past few weeks. We have been so excited to see the great response we’ve gotten so far. We’ve even had a few groups drive hours to come check us out, and for that I am immensely grateful.
If you haven’t come out yet, dude, where have you been? We serve lunch from 11-2p and dinner and/or drinks from 5p-1a Tuesday to Saturday currently, but you can always check our website, Facebook, or Instagram for updates. xx. Emma, Trey, and the GG team
Credits // Author: Emma Chapman. Photography: Janae Hardy and Rogan Howitt.
85 Comments
Love this Tour, looking at it SO LATE but what a lovely concept!
What about some Jamaican rum cocktails to add to the menu? I see you stock Appleton, which is a dream in a classic rum punch etc….we have hundreds of cocktails in Jamaica built around Appleton….also try to stock Blackwell Rum if you have it nearby. That is Chris Blackwell’s rum, (former music producer who owns Island Outpost) and the cocktails made with this are DIVINE, it is a lovely light bodied rum.
Congrats Emma and Trey! Hope I can visit one day soon.
xo
This is amazing! I hope to visit one day and take a shoefie with that cute pineapple! Just a quick note–there are two “the”s in the title of the post.
Congratulations! The space looks incredible – love that neon!! 🙂
you girls are amazing!!!! favourite blog forever *tear up from awesomeness*
It looks stunning and so so Summery!
xx,
E.
www.theslowpace.com
This is such a cool space! I love the wallpaper! My home state of West Virginia has a strong connection to Dorothy Draper. She was the interior designer for The Greenbrier Resort. The entire resort’s décor and patterns were curated by Ms. Draper. It even has Draper’s Ice Cream Shop that pays homage to her. I think you would really enjoy a visit!
http://www.greenbrier.com/HomePage-Sub-Pages/About-The-Greenbrier/Dorothy-Draper-Co
I live in mid-Missouri and have been a fan ever since you were in Real Simple. I come to Springfield some for work, so I will definitely come visit the next time I am! Super grateful for the inspiration you bring to my life! And love it that you are MO girls!
This is such a great review! Now I REALLY want to go!
Laura
http://laurelandfern.com/
Congrats! This place looks amazing! I hope to visit from Phoenix someday soon!
Laura
http://laurelandfern.com/
I simply love this place. So beautiful ! Thanks
Looks amazing. Love the pineapple theme. Everything is so different (wood, tiles, concrete) and yet it all comes together so well. Kind of wish I lived in MO!
Wow congratulations on such an accomplishment. It looks amazing and is totally consistent with ABM. Would love to go if I’m ever in the area.
Emma, can you please open another The Golden Girl Rum Club in Nashville JUST so that I can have a Holy Sh*t Jaws in 3D? Thanks.
Congrats! It looks beautiful!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
so, so cool! congratulations!!
www.giltedgeblog.com
I LOVE this! And if I’m ever in the area, this will be a must stop for me.
Oh WOW!! Makes me want to hop in my car and head that way. So cute ~ Love it ~ congrats!!!!
It looks like a fabulous bar, good luck with everything!
Amazing place Great job guys!
http://soldenochedecocrochet.blogspot.com.ar/
This is very very cool! I was wondering if you would be doing a post about the whole process from brainstorming to opening day- it would be great to hear the story of how you planned, funded, constructed, and finally realized your dream!!
This looks absolutely INCREDIBLE!!!! Every. Single. Detail. I adore the wallpaper, the tiles, and OMG THE GLASSWARE!
I wish I lived in your town – I would be there every day.
Congratulations! This is literally the cutest bar I have ever seen ? Next time we’re in St. Louis, we’ll definitely stop in!
OMG, this is a modern version of Blanche Devereaux’s bedroom on The Golden Girls!!! Obsessed!! Wish I lived closer!!! Kisses,
Sarah
EverydayStarlet
It looks great, congrats! I love the garage door idea (Very common here in my part of Canada, I’ve seen them a lot in Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto). If I’m ever in your part of the US one day, I will most likely drop by.
This is epic Emma, so awesome. Love that Shark mug. Congrats! 🙂
Be a pineapple: Stand tall, wear a crown and be sweet on the inside! Love the new place. Congrats!
Congrats on this new journey! It looks so wonderful!
http://thatsmagsforyou.com
I went to the bar a couple of weeks ago and it was wonderful! The decor is gorgeous and the drinks are delicious. I don’t even remember what I had, but it was very yummy! Definitely a nice change from the other bars we have in the city. We will be back soon. 🙂
We haven’t had any cup thieves yet, but I imagine it may happen one day. The place is pretty small, so that makes it easier to keep on eye on things as well as provide great service. But yeah, we’ll see. I’ll be on the look out for gals in rain boots now. 🙂
-Emma
Probably not, but we’ll keep it in mind. It’s hard to think of finding time to ship stuff when everyone is so busy with other stuff (working at the bar, working at ABM, etc.). We def thought about it, but there’s only so many hours in the day so at the moment we don’t have plans to but you never know! So thanks, as it good to hear of your interest. 🙂
-Emma
Oh yay! Glad you guys stopped in. And the The Mixtapes are incredible, right?! You planned a good trip.
-Emma
Yes, I agree, she is so cute. I just love what Rogan created with her. We were planning to put her on the very front of the site but we haven’t found a photo of the bar that worked well with the logo on top of it. Probably just a matter of time, Trey is always tweaking the site. 🙂
-Emma
Love everything!! Is the name an homage to the TV show? Because the wallpaper reminds of Blanche’s bedroom!
Yes. It’s just two stories, so the bar is in the bottom and the upstairs is offices, including offices for A Beautiful Mess. That’s pretty much our plans. 🙂
-Emma
Yes, one of the guys told me we had some folks come from Wisconsin—I wish I had been around that day to say hi! Thanks for coming and I hope the rest of your trip was great. Thanks for stopping by!!!
-Emma
Wowzers! It looks absolutely incredible, with such a fantastic attention to detail. Wishing you lots of success with the new venture xx
wow — this is the type of inspiration I needed today! What a feel-good space and vibe! Wishing I could go there right now. Awesome job, I hope to be able to check it out one day!
oh my gosh!!! I want to get some girlfriends together & come visit!!
I wish I could be close to Springfield to have one of those wonderful cocktails.
The place has so much personality, is obvious you made it with all your heart 🙂
Wish you a prosper bussines!!!
This is incredible! Congratulations to the whole team! Now I need to take a little road trip out there 😉
Love how you included the before and after shot 🙂
I love what you did with this place. Too bad I don’t live there, because I’d love to visit. And the garage door is such a great idea!
Absolutely gorgeous space and I love the bar stools and the menu 🙂
If I ever make it to America I’ll be damn sure to check it out! It’s so cute, and I feel like I’d want to take photos all the time 😉 You’ll need to have some sweet mocktails though :O
I am so excited to read about someone’s start ups! I really dream to start my business in the future and posts like this assure me I should do that as soon as possible! ‘After’ pictures of your Golden Girl Rum Club are amazing! I and my all co-workers from www.pinkelstar.com wish you good luck!
That looks amazing! I’m from Australia but if I’m ever in the vicinity, I’ll be there with bells on! All the best for your new venture!
This is amazing, I love every single detail of the interior! I wish I could see this place in real sometime!
https://www.makeandmess.com/
Absolutly fantastic!!! Would love to come – but – sorry for – it`s a little bit tooooo far away (Germany). Congrats and I wish you all the best for this beautiful project!
This looks amazing!!! Well done guys I’m so excited for you!!! The decor looks so bright and has this amazing vacation feel that I’m sure your patrons love. Also I would be trying to buy all those mugs off of you cause they all look so cool!!
This honestly just validates my life goal of creating a business for myself or with my future partner (someday). Many best wishes to you guys and thanks for the very awesome and inspiring tour 🙂
This bar is so cute!!!! If I’m ever in the area I’ll definitely stop by!
Emma, congratulations!!! It’s so great seeing you living your dreams (because it gives us hope that we can do it too!) All the best to your new adventure! Enjoy it! xo
It looks soo good! (Rum is totally the poison I pick- my roommate and I designated “The Kraken” as our house rum- so I mean both the drinks and the decor.)
The first things I thought of, though, were 1)be careful standing on things to water those plants, and 2)how do you keep people from stealing your amazing glassware? Watch out for people wearing rain boots; my friend smuggled a whole bottle of wine around town in her left boot.
Next time I am even remotely close I am visiting! Looks AMAZING!!
congratulations!!! the space is so cute! I must visit if I’m ever in the area
http://heyprettything.com
congratulations on opening the golden girl rum club! the place looks amazing, wish I could head over this weekend =o) hope to make it to Springfield MO someday to have a drink!
http://dreamofadventures.blogspot.com/
Used to live in Springfield, this looks like a great update to the square! Very cool!
Wow, that tile! So great looking! Modern but still cozy… If I am ever traveling near there, it will be a must-see! I JUST did a post on banana-leaf wallpaper so was secretly thrilled to see it peeking out there in your photos 🙂 Evidence: http://danielleandco.com/blog/2016/design-around-banana-leaf-wallpaper
Before and after – this is such a beautiful transforrmation. I like it very much!
!!!!!! NO WAY! Everything is PERFECT! Congratulations on this accomplishment! Now if only I lived closer I would drop in really soon! Perhaps one day! 🙂
I am so in love with the decor!!
www.petiteandhungry.com
Hi Emma, will you be selling your those lovely pins on your website by any chance? Don’t think I’ll be in Missouri anytime soon!!!
Wow! Well done! The place looks great! I love everything you’ve done!
It looks awesome! I
Omg, so proud of you guys! The place looks so amazing, and I’m in love with your logo. If I didn’t live in AZ, I would totally road trip there!
– Jac
This place is so awesome might have to make a trip to MO just to see it!
Oh my gosh you nailed. it. Springfield is officially on my destination list now. Well done guys!
I didn’t realize you also served food- what’s the menu like? That must have been a fun project to work on 🙂
It looks amazing, well done! It’s cool to see your take on decor in this element I really, REALLY love those concrete floors. I hope you can find the time to do a post on some of the costs involved in a big endeavor like this, or at least talk a bit more about the custom shelving, seating, tables and other elements, cuz I be lovin it all!
We are from St. Louis and stopped in last Saturday night. We loved our drinks and our amazing sandwiches. So FUN! I wish I had known about the pins….they are so darling! We ate at your fun place and then headed to Joplin for The MIxtapes! Awesome Saturnday night in Missouri!
Congratulations Emma and Trey (and your business partners too of course)! It’s such an exciting time for you and I wish you all the very best with the bar. The renovations you’ve done look amazing and I especially love that garage door. Looking forward to seeing your patio area too. Best wishes!!
So excited for you guys. Some good friends of mine are opening up a new bar in our hometown in Kansas and I just sent them this link for inspo.
I think this is great! I checked out the website and I didn’t see your darling golden girl logo anywhere. Maybe include it on your site as well – she is so cute!
Yay! Congratulations! You have created a very beautiful and unique space (not surprised there!)
Fun, fun … & so bright & beautiful. Love the menus, & the plants behind the bar are a nice touch!
The bar looks amazing! I love all of the little details you put in and how light and bright it is. And those cups! Incredible. Congratulations!
Cheers to you guys! This place looks amazing and I absolutely love the name!
www.shopthecoconutroom.com
I took a road trip with some girlfriends from Wisconsin to MO this past weekend, and the highlight of our time in Springfield was the Golden Girl. We couldn’t stop talking about our drinks but even more the food. We loved the brussel sprouts, cornbread, wings… really everything we tried. It’s beautiful, and the staff was as friendly as could be. I could go on and on, but I’ll stop here and let you know that you’ve got four big Wisconsin fans.
EMMA STOP I’ve been waiting so long for this tour – it’s AMAZING!!! Everything from the wallpaper to the fun cocktail cups, to the tile details – it’s SO good. You should be so proud! *Daydreaming of when I can hop on over to Springfield from Austin, TX for a visit*
What an awesome space, that pineapple is especially killer! I wish I lived nearby so I could check it out, but I definitely will if I’m ever in the area! I hope you find lots of success with this new venture!
great,great post 😀
mfashionfreak♥blog
The bar looks very stylish and different… I just feel like you guys have the magic to make everything you want possible.
Congrats!! So, you own the entire downtown building? What are you plans for that? Thanks for sharing and good luck.
I hope to someday make a trip down there (Chicago gal) This place looks so fun and I NEED one of those pins. I’m obsessed with your pineapple girl logo. Amazing.
Wow, Emma! This place looks fantastic! Love the shark mug, by the way. I think I have a good excuse for a road trip now 😉
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! If I am ever in your area (or state!) I will be sure to stop by! Looks like a fun place to hang out!
SO happy for you Emma, and I hope to visit one day. I love the decor and the feeling. That pineapple is so cute. And the “Endless Summer” hearty eyes for days.