The Sunday News
Bruce Ndlovu
WHEN one travels to a city that they do not consider home, they might find themselves worrying about where they are going to sleep when night falls.
Other than where they will lay their heads, some worry about what food they will put in their stomachs before they call it a night.
After all, many are quite picky about what they consume and the alien culinary tastes of a strange city might be too much to stomach for some.
Imbibers however, face a different dilemma. Not only do they have to worry about the quality of the alcohol they consume, they also have to be satisfied about the surroundings in which they consume the wise waters.
There’s a reason why imbibers choose to be patrons of certain bars and not of others. There’s a bar for every drinker and so in a strange place one can find themselves stranded with only their alcohol for company.
A new pub in Bulawayo has seen this dilemma and decided to make the decision of its imbibers easier. Located at the Standard Hotel, Thirsty Throats is the latest drinking hole to try and bring a touch of class and elegance to late night drinking in the City of Kings.
After watching its guests struggle to find drinking spots after settling down for their stay at the hotel, they spared no expense in constructing a nightspot that they felt was perfectly tailored to the needs of those that usually chose the hotel as their home away from home.
“Our clients always struggled to find the right places to drink after they had settled down here so we thought it would be a good idea to have a bar within the hotel,” said Jacqueline Ndlovu, the hotel’s administrative manager.
“It took us a year to build because we had to import a lot of furniture but when we opened doors in July it lifted the mood of many. From the feedback that we’re getting people are very satisfied with what we have done so far. You’d get a call from someone saying that they left their phone at the place and they got as far as Harare and they found it was safe with us. That’s what we do here. We make our people feel safe,” she said.
According to Ndlovu, although the pub’s main clientele came from hotel guests, they had begun to attract a lot of walk-in clients as well.
“We’ve been getting a lot of walk-in clients which has been encouraging. This shows that the place’s popularity is increasing and we appeal to people who we had initially not thought would be interested. Our policy says that we close at 10pm but people can continue drinking if they are already inside when it gets to that time of night,” she said.
With a restaurant serving dishes made by some food from some of the finest chefs in the City of Kings, Ndlovu said they believed they had a formula that was sure to entice both imbibers and food lovers.
However, a bar is not complete without music and Ndlovu said they believed they had a selection that was bound to satisfy the weary traveller eager for a drink after a long day.
“We play light music because that’s what we believe goes with the mood of the place. We’re also looking to invite some jazz players in the near future,” she said.
