Celtic House on Columbia Pike says it plans to unveil its new whiskey and bourbon bar beneath the existing restaurant “later this fall.”
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, the pub said the centerpiece of the new bar will be a handcrafted, solid red oak bar, offering a range of rare whiskeys and bourbons. The additional dining space will also add 60 seats to the main restaurant’s current capacity of 90-100 patrons.
Celtic House initially hit a snag when it filed for a permit in March to renovate its newly leased basement unit — previously a defunct dry cleaning business — because the shopping center is located in a historic district.
Despite these hurdles, the permit was approved in August and construction started downstairs that same month.
General Manager Chris Devenney told ARLnow the new bar will be a seamless extension of the existing restaurant. A staircase will connect the two units but the new downstairs bar will have a separate entrance, too.
The main dining area will remain open throughout the renovation, Devenney said.
“Our main pub and restaurant is still fully operational. We’re hoping it will remain fully operational during construction,” he said.
Devenney envisions the new bar doubling as a space for hosting events such as birthdays, rehearsal dinners, funeral wakes and showers.
Although he could not confirm an exact opening date, the general manager said he hopes it will be in the next few months.
“I don’t want to give false hope in case we run into an issue with construction or it’s going to take us longer just getting things ready,” he said.