Taking up the former Old Tom's Bar site, a new cocktail bar is set to open in St Albans city centre.
No Nuisance, at 23 George Street, is the brainchild of Alastair Burgess, owner of award-winning London establishment Happiness Forgets.
The owner, who now lives in St Albans, told The Herts Advertiser that the bar will open before the end of April if all goes to plan.
Alastair began: "I've had a little bit of fun with the name. There's a little door on the left of the clocktower, in the city centre, that says 'commit no nuisance'.
"I just thought that was a lot of fun. I did a bit of digging and that phrase was painted on the door back in the 1930s to stop people soliciting, doing drugs and peeing in the corner, and being anti-social - that would be a more modern word I'd imagine.
"So I've called the bar 'No Nuisance' in homage of that."
With the lease signed this morning (Friday, March 22), Alastair is keen to begin installing his vision at the premises.
The businessman continued: "I was hoping to get the lease done this month and be open at the beginning of April, but I think now a more realistic aim - with a full refurb and redecoration, staff recruitment and staff training - will be mid-to-end of April.
"I've been in the hospitality industry for 27 years and ever since I was 20 I just wanted my own bar.
"I opened my first in Shoreditch, and then moving to St Albans I was like 'there isn't a good cocktail bar here'.
"I think there's definitely room in the market for something better.
"I was chatting to some of the staff at Dylans at The Kings Arms and they were like 'Oh my god, we would love to have someone like you open something George Street, with your quality'.
"They put me in contact with their agent, who showed me a couple of spaces and this one shone out for me, in a sense that this is exactly the kind of thing I do.
"It's nice and small, really cute and personal, where we can deliver great service."
Describing his decision to move to St Albans in 2022, Alastair continued: "I'd been living in London since 2001, and me and partner - I'd been here for just over 20 years - it just got to the point where we'd had enough of living in London.
"I still have a business in London but I just wanted a slightly slower pace of life, access to greenery and stuff.
"Originally from Godalming near Guildford, I was looking for something similar to that.
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"Obviously, the proximity of St Albans and the ease to be able to get into London played a major part.
"It's also an absolutely city!"
Old Tom's continues to operate in Hemel Hempstead, and has recently expanded into a neighbouring property.
Updates regarding the progress of No Nuisance can be found by following @nonuisancebar on Instagram.
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