Here’s how Plymouth banquet room transformed into trendy ‘Bartisan’
The former Red Olive banquet room — now the recently opened The Bartisan — has a stylish new look.
Before you step foot inside the fully-renovated former beige-and-burgundy-heavy Red Olive banquet room at 1059 Ann Arbor Road, prepare yourself to be blown away.
Transformed into the recently-opened The Bartisan by Plymouth brothers Jad and Joe Sayah, the 4,000-square-foot space has taken on a stylish new vibe, accented by calming blue back-lighting, trendy furnishings and a slick new bar — the combination of which has generated fabulous feedback by first-time visitors.
“People walk in for the first time and they’re like, ‘Wow! I did not expect this!’,” Jad Sayah revealed. “People love the atmosphere we’ve created in this space.
“I wanted to create a place my wife and I could go for a date night — a place we could just sit and chill with some handcrafted drinks, without the commotion and noise that you find in a typical restaurant.”
‘A place to socialize and mingle’
“We wanted to create a place where people could come in, get a handcrafted drink, socialize and mingle,” Joe Sayah added. “Our food is very, very good — all of it is fresh and homemade — but it is secondary to the atmosphere and the trendy vibe.”
The Sayahs also emphasized the ease of finding a parking space in the rear of the Ann Arbor Road Corridor business.
The idea for The Bartisan was actually ignited by COVID-19-related rules and regulations that forced the Sayahs to shut down the banquet room for an extended period.
“At that point, we sat down and said, ‘Let’s figure out a different concept of how we can utilize this space,” Jad said. “During that time, it was difficult to secure employees, so we wanted a concept that wasn’t as labor-intensive as a full-scale restaurant.”
“Our first thought was a cigar lounge,” Joe added, “but we didn’t want to limit our customer base. So we decided to design a place with small plates and craft cocktails.”
Like night and day
The Sayahs were hands-on when it came to designing and renovating the former Red Olive banquet hall, working with a close friend who is a carpenter to change the interior’s look.
“It’s literally like night and day compared to the banquet room look,” Jad said.
The Bartisan has an airy, cool, comfortable feel to it. With traditional tables mixed in with upscale couches and high-end chairs for seating, there is something for everyone.
They turned a former storage area for tables and chairs into an eye-catching displaying case for wine bottles. And the bar has a wow factor that you have to see to appreciate.
The Bartisan is also an ideal place to watch big sporting events as it is equipped with multiple high-definition TVs.
“We’ve put a lot of thought, time and energy into this,” Joe said. “As soon as we put the sign on the front door and the ‘Coming Soon’ banner, people started asking us, ‘When are you opening? When are you opening?’
“It was such a relief to finally get the green light to open this past week. Customers have told us over and over that this area needed a place like this, where they could enjoy a nice drink, some light fare and simply relax and mingle.”
Wide variety of handcrafted cocktails
Bartisan’s handcrafted cocktails menu includes 12 offerings, including the namesake “The Bartisan”, which has dazzled customers with its combination of Johnnie Walker Black, Bitterman’s Bitters, Blueberry Jam and Ginger Ale.
Twelve craft beers are also available — the list will be rotated on a regular basis, Jad said — along with an extensive variety of sparkling, white and red wines.
The menu is tastefully diverse, with everything from Mediterranean-fused items (for example, Bab Ghanouj topped with pomegranate) to traditional shareables like fish tacos and Philly steak quesadillas — all reasonably priced at $15 or lower.
Bartisan is open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.; and Fridays and Saturdays from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m.
The Sayahs said the space is available to rent out during its non-traditional hours of operation for everything from baby and weddings showers, to business-networking events.
To book a time for an event — or simply to learn more about Plymouth’s new nightlife destination — visit thebartisan.com.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
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