The Side by Side - Local Businesses Making Their Mark

It was a pleasure to have a role in creating The Side by Side. Barney and Erin came to me in 2021 to consult their vision of the business they were working hard to bring it to life. Fusing the unbeatable forces of Cocktails and Pizza in a place that felt new yet familiar was a great starting point. Before we knew it, the project had started, and the space was underway. We had one job and limited time to complete it before opening day: create The Side by Side. 

Based in the rural Lincolnshire town of Caistor, it was imperative to use that familiar countryside feeling in the space itself, blurring the lines between this new and exciting business and the greater personality of the surrounding area. After some back and forth, the design you can see today was deemed the direction we wanted to go. Wooden touches were used throughout the space to create a natural feeling, however, the most fulfilling aspect to create was the seating.

As the limited space had the potential to feel too intimate if not done right, we wanted to create ‘divisions’ within the room so each table could feel they had their own private space to unwind within without feeling on display. Despite this, it was also greatly important to balance this feeling of privacy with access to the surrounding buzz of the busy atmosphere, especially when hosting live music events. This is what led us down the path of bespoke booths to host the larger tables. Designed to break up the noise of fellow tables and create a feeling of exclusivity, the benches were a simple but effective touch to break up the space and were a pleasure to build. Designed to allow great visibility and ease of access from one side, allowing guests to naturally engage with the outer space should they wish, whilst also providing a practical point of entry for the staff to provide the incredible service they are known for without impeding on the customer’s space.

Overall, the entire business has achieved exactly what we were looking for and has since been hosting many casual drinks, romantic evenings out and of course full private events. The theme and feeling we worked hard to create can be felt in every inch of the property and is now synonymous with The Side by Side. Now that very same feeling and quality can be felt in another location, as it has since been used to create their second location in Cleethorpes, another fantastic project I was part of.

I highly recommend visiting one of Barney and Erin’s locations in either Caistor or Cleethorpes. With great service, unbelievable drinks and of course, fantastic pizza, what more do you need to enjoy a night?