Fusion Board Members, Dustin and Laura sat down with Eric Scouten to chat about his new bar Ka•ku•tə•ru Lounge, which is now open!
Ka•ku•tə•ru Lounge is the latest addition to Grannan Lane, moving into the old Rouge location. However, as you step inside the space, you see that it has been entirely transformed. Scouten decided to completely reconfigure the area. In the space is a large bar, which has been made from old church pews from Saint John the Baptist. And behind the bar, the organ from Saint John the Baptist has been entirely repurposed as the centerpiece! One of Eric’s objectives was to reuse materials and appliances from other locations in Saint John.
Like many others, Eric’s project for starting his own bar came from the impacts of the pandemic. Eric has been working in the service industry since he was 18.
“It has always been my path,” he explains.
Before the pandemic, Eric had other business plans in the works and was running private tastings. The pandemic enforced a shift when the entire serving industry came to a halt.
Eric was forced to seek employment elsewhere, despite his profession being a bartender. He ended up in a field he was not passionate about, was difficult on his mental health, and most importantly, took him away from his family.
When the space became available on Grannan Lane, he knew he needed to pull the trigger and start his own bar; if it weren’t for the push from the pandemic, he’s not sure if he would have done it!
Operating Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 2 pm to 12 am and Wednesday by reservation. The reservation opportunity on Wednesdays will allow customers to have a personal experience learning about the products. His menu will have limited overhead and focus on a select number of cocktails. He also has other beverages available – in particular, non-alcoholic cocktails!
Find Ka•ku•tə•ru Lounge at the below social media accounts to follow their journey.
