Here’s what’s planned for the former Hot Tin Roof space in Hillsborough
There’s new life at the former Hot Tin Roof space in downtown Hillsborough.
The longtime bar shut down in April after more than a decade of offering live music and free flowing drinks.
Now the owners of Viceroy and The Nomad have plans for a new bar aimed at brightening up the space.
“We’re going for a garden bar concept,” said BJ Patel, who co-owns The Viceroy and The Nomad. “Obviously the bones are there, but we’re going to give it a hell of a face lift.”
That face lift will include new windows and greenery, as Patel said he plans to add more natural light and kid-friendly corners to the former Hot Tin Roof property.
“We want to make it a lot more family friendly,” Patel said. “It will be a great outdoor and indoor space. It will be very, very warm.”
The new bar was first reported by The News of Orange County.
After operating the popular Tan-Durm food truck, which specialized in Indian Street food, Patel opened Viceroy in downtown Durham in 2016 serving a modern Indian menu.
Then in 2020, The Nomad was set to open just as a global pandemic set in. Patel said the vision of global street food tapas was upended, but that The Nomad found ways to survive.
“It was very rare that people would order 10 to 12 small dishes for takeout, so we had to pivot to family style meals to go, and bowls and what not,” Patel said. “Then repivot when people started to come back for dine-in.”
Patel said he and his wife weren’t actively searching for a spot for a third concept, but that the door is always open for something new.
“We’re in business to do business,” Patel said. “Why not grow in the community you’re already in? Hillsborough has been extremely supportive to us in helping survive the pandemic. This is our chance to pay back and be a bigger part of the community.”
The new bar is so far unnamed, Patel said. Beyond drinks, there will be small snacks and an invitation to food trucks.
With renovations planned for the summer, Patel expects the new project to open in the fall, possibly as early as September.
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