Introducing… Hula Co
There's a new Hawaiian-themed bar in town and we're here to tell you all about it
New bars and restaurants open in Newcastle all the time and often they’re on-trend in terms of what they offer but we don’t think anybody would have foreseen a brand new Hawaiian-themed bar in the city!
We caught up with Hula Co. co-owner Darren Todd-Smith to find out what inspired his new venture and what the restaurant-bar has to offer.
Hula Co is a brand new, Hawaiian-themed bar and restaurant (at the top of Side) from Darren Todd-Smith and Mark Stevenson - the same team behind successful Bigg Market pizza joint Twenty Twenty - who have a long history of involvement in hospitality in the city.
“We have both been working in hospitality for the last 18 years and decided to open our own place during the pandemic," Darren explains, “We’ve been running Twenty Twenty on Bigg Market since November 2021 and Hula Co is our second venue together. Prior to that Mark worked for Revolution for a long time and more recently worked for nightclub group Deltic before their sale to Rekom. I have been a club promoter since moving here for uni in 2006 - I launched Voodoo Events Newcastle in 2010 and I still operate weekly club nights under that brand.”
Having expanded Twenty Twenty to occupy all five floors of its building, with a dedicated restaurant space, a new function room and a bigger kitchen (allowing for a bigger menu), Mark and Darren were looking for a new venture. As Darren explains, the concept came first:
“Hula Co is an adaptation of a Tacos and Tequila concept that we’d been working on," he says. "Tequila seems to be gaining popularity at the moment but can be divisive and whilst everyone seems to love tacos it can be a little bit one-dimensional so we wanted to broaden out the offering to make it more appealing."
"Hawaii is a melting pot of cultures due to the historic migration to work on sugar and pineapple plantations. As well as its own native cuisine, modern Hawaiian food takes a lot of influence from Latin America, Asia and Portugal," Darren continues. "This mix allowed us to build a food and drink menu that’s a little bit more unique but covers more bases. Whilst we had the concept we weren’t actually looking for a venue. We were in the middle of the extensive conversion of the upper three floors of Twenty Twenty when we were approached and offered the former Missy Milieu’s site. The timing was terrible really but we felt it was a great opportunity and didn’t want to miss it.”
Most people probably picture something very laid-back, sunny and relaxing when they think of Hawaii and that’s very much the vibe Darren and Mark have gone for in the bar.
“We’re really going for a casual and laid-back dining experience with an emphasis on social interaction - think along the lines of relaxed meal on a holiday with your friends, embracing the chilled Hawaiian way of life," explains Darren. "The music is at a level to facilitate conversation, there’s no DJ blasting whilst you’re trying to eat and the soundtrack isn’t intrusive. We’ve gone more tropical than Tiki with lots of greenery paired with warm wood tones and soft lighting - the decor is themed but we didn’t want to go OTT to the point where it’s intrusive.”
The menu features plenty of what Darren calls 'big plates' but most of it is made up of small plates and sharing boards designed for groups. It's full of surprises and unexpected combinations like spam musubi and Hawaiian green curry too, which reflects Hawaii’s fusion cuisine and culture.
“With Hawaiian cuisine taking influence from such an eclectic mix of places it really has been fun creating the menu," says Darren. "Head Chef Michael Keegan came on board eight weeks before we opened to work in the kitchen at Twenty Twenty alongside head chef Ben Drew to bring our ideas to reality. Myself and Mark had a good basis for the menu framework already but the guys really added to it and brought everything together.”
As ever, we asked Darren what he’d recommend for a first time visitor and he was quick to recommend the Loco Moco loaded sidewinders.
“Think cheesy chips and gravy with burger bits,” he explains. “Paired with the Hawaiian Fried Chicken, that would be my favourite although we’re both partial to a Char Sui Pork Poke Bowl too and the Corn Luu is fantastic - it’s a charred corn dip with feta, mayonnaise, jalapenos, spring onion and coriander served with tortilla chips."
There are some tasty new additions to the menu to look forward to in the not-too-distant future as well.
"We are adding several steak based dishes to the menu at the end of June and launching sensational Hawaiian BBQ Sunday Dinners," promises Darren. "The Birria Picanha Steak Sunday dinner will be taking the top spot for me once they’re on sale.”
Darren says that cocktails are Hula Co’s real focus and like the food, it's a very unusual and diverse selection (they’re also two-for-one all the time!).
“The top pick for me is the Mango and Chilli Margarita”, Darren admits. “However the Mauna Loa Zombie Mega Pint is a crowd pleaser, as is the Waikiki Bubble Tea. The customers also love the frozen daiquiris - they’re the top seller by some distance. We have four flavours to choose from or you can mix any two flavours together to create your own blend.”
Hula Co has been open since May and Darren is clearly pleased with how it has been received and how busy it is.
“Trade is tracking slightly up based on our projections, which is fantastic, and with elements such as our bottomless brunch now beginning to be pushed, and the Sunday dinners coming on board, we’re expecting to see the growth continue to build. It’s a tough time in the industry at the moment but right now both venues are doing well. We’ve had a lot of people that haven’t really been too sure what to expect and have been pleasantly surprised. Feedback on the whole has been great and we’re seeing people returning for repeat visits which is a great sign.”
We asked if Darren and Mark had any new plans we should know about, but Darren is circumspect: “At the moment there’s nothing in the pipeline and my wife will probably kill us if we take on another project but we’ll see what comes up - we have a few ideas locked away for when the time is right!”
Hula Co really is a welcome addition to the Newcastle bar scene – something genuinely innovative and true to its Hawaiian inspiration. And, as the picture above proves, it's dog-friendly to boot! So if you fancy some original cocktails and some truly unique small plates in a vibey, chilled-out atmosphere - perhaps with your four-legged friend - head to Hula Co where you’ll definitely be ‘komo mai’.
Hula Co is located at 90 Side and open from midday to 11pm Wednesday to Sunday and 'til midnight on Friday and Saturday. Find out more at www.hulaco.co.uk.
