“We just saw how much of a demand there was,” said Toni, on why they undertook the project. “The first two-and-a-half years have been such a great ride, we wanted to re-invest. What we made out of this place, we dumped right back into it.”
The Pour House is a self-pour, pay-by-the-ounce digital taproom and kitchen. It features a few dozen taps of craft beers, ciders, seltzer and wines. But its success was limited by its size, said the Salems. They already have three events booked in the expanded area they’re calling the More House (or possibly the Mour House) side of the establishment.
More seating, including booths, ledge seating, and new tables were incorporated throughout as all of the Pour House technology for its self-service dispensers have been upgraded, and they have a lot more televisions.
“It’s a beautiful place for sports,” Rafael Salem said. “We’re not a sports bar, but we have enough TVs to accommodate.”
One thing the Salems said people wanted that they didn’t have was an actual bar. Now they have one, which straddles the original Pour House location and the expansion.
“A lot of the tenants upstairs (in the Marcum Apartments), singles, people visiting from out of town, they were finding it awkward to sit at a table alone to have a drink,” said Rafael Salem. “When you’re having a beer and want to socialize, sitting at a table it makes it hard.”
In addition to an expanded kitchen and menu — items like stuffed meatballs, gyros, Italian subs, hoagies, and bruschetta have been added — the Salems will be launching the Pour House Pedal, a mobile tavern that has a dozen bookings after this weekend.
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
The Pour House Pedal is the first of its kind for Hamilton after the city council in 2023 launched a pilot program allowing such vehicles to tour Hamilton businesses along city streets. The wagon is designed for adults of drinking age, however, the wagon permits children (there is a height restriction), but alcohol will not be permitted for that tour if any child is on the wagon.
The pedal wagon is expected to be in Ohio’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade which stretches Riverfront Plaza on Monday, and is followed by the O’DORA Dash. The pedal wagon will then be parked in front of the Pour House.
Sometime next month, the Salem’s renovations are expected to be completed when three glass garage doors are installed, which would expand their capacity onto the patio in front of the establishment.
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