Jojo Macs opened its doors in August and stands proudly on the corner of St Vincent St. The site has been extended and encompasses the old Bread Meats Bread unit as well as the former newsagents next door.
The burger and lobster restaurant is bright and airy, mainly due to floor to ceiling windows, and the interior is beautifully designed, right down to the finest details. The first thing that strikes you upon entry is the use of reclaimed wood courtesy of Glasgow Wood and grey/ black metal elements that are blended to create wonderful clean lines.
To the left, the wood lined façade of the open kitchen is studded and topped with white marble and a smart steel gantry courtesy of Ferro Fabrication Ltd.
It’s the little touches though that are really impressive. The front area ceiling is adorned with a jigsaw of reclaimed wine crates. Hanging from this are long metal pendant lights with love heart light bulbs that match the venues logo!
There is a lovely counter edge with high stools which spans the front facing window and allows diners to sit and watch the world go by. The rest of the seating is a comfortable mix of both chairs and booths. Some of these are wooden with metal elements and others are beautifully upholstered by LECS Upholstery in differing black leather effects to create a solid finish.
The wooden tables with black bases are polished to perfection and in a lovely touch, are branded with the reclaimed wood numbers, and there is a partition separating the seating area from the servers area – made from black metal squares and filled with a mix of both clear and marbled glass.
In the centre of the room, a long partition is topped with pieces of curved wood to create a barrel effect which blends the front and back of the restaurant together seamlessly. The clean, grey stone effect walls have been simply but cleverly designed and created by a venetian plasterer, which really allows the smaller details to stand out.
Owner Lawrence McManus tells me, “We worked on that finish in a really specific way because I didn’t want to put anything else on the walls. You can talk about something, or you can do some samples, but once you start applying it to the walls – that’s when it really comes to life. And it’s simple, but very effective. It keeps the clean lines of the place without it being cold.”
However, they have used the grey rear wall of the venue to create a focal point. This is adorned with a striking piece of black, silver and gold modern artwork. Lawrence says, “The pictures are chefs at work and the phrases are things I’ve heard through the years. People commenting when they’re dining, drinking and some other humorous things. It was all just to tie in and create a really nice, fun environment for people to eat.”
The project was clearly a labour of love for Lawrence who designed it himself and made it a point to only use local tradesmen. He says, “It’s very much a bespoke project. I’d planned to use these different elements in a venue for a while, but I was just waiting for the right location. Everyone we worked with on this was a real craftsman. I think that this corner of town deserved that as well, I just wanted to put a good stamp on it.”
“The final look is earthy and proper with some lovely, homely touches. I wanted it to stand the test of time and we tried to do something with the wood that was a wee bit different. GL Polishers in Bothwell did all the wood polishing. So, all the wood that you see, they coated, stained and brought it to life. You get contacts through the years in the industry, and that’s when you pull on the good people to help you out. It’s the little details that I think show through in the final look of the place.
“It’s very difficult to create a unique space these days. Everyone’s seen everything. But I think in here, there is just an edge to it, it’s just a wee bit different. It’s a nice, comfortable place for the customer to sit and have a wee bite to eat or have a bit of fun. That’s always been my guiding principle”.