Bellingham is getting a new pub that will also be home to live entertainment

Bradley Kuykendall is back in Bellingham and hoping to create an entertainment center to go with his new bar/restaurant.

Kuykendall is planning to open Frank-n-Stein Pub Feb. 1 at 902 N. State St., the former home of New York Pizza. The pub will have the look of a sports bar, with big-screen televisions, local beers and hard cider. The menu will include gourmet hot dogs and burgers, with pizza and deli sandwiches arriving on the menu in the coming weeks.

On the south side of the building, Kuykendall is planning to create an event area for a variety of live entertainment events, including music, comedy and melodrama theater. It’s something that appeals to Kuykendall, who has had a career as an actor and singer in Nashville and Southern California.

Longtime residents may remember Kuykendall’s last Bellingham business venture: He operated Dixie Red’s Dance Hall and Saloon on Samish Way, near Boomer’s Drive-In, in the 1990s.

By having a bar and an area for live entertainment, Kukendall said he is hoping to strike a balance by attracting college students as well as the rest of the community downtown. Being within walking distance of Western Washington University, the bar will have the basic drinks available at low price points, Kukendall said.

The bar will also have a variety of higher-end drinks, highlighting quality local products. He also want to do the same for the food.

“We want to take a bar and upscale it,” Kuykendall said. “we want this to be a neighborhood place.”

What brought Kuykendall back to Bellingham was a visit with his son, Sean. While visiting the area he said he had forgotten how nice Bellingham is and decided to move back. The business has become partly a family affair, with Sean working as the kitchen manager.

The bar manager is Martin Petelinz, who once worked for the Bellingham New York Pizza, rising from bartender to general manager.

Bellingham certainly has a different feel to Bradley Kuykendall this time around. When he operated Dixie Red’s as a country music dance hall, Samish Way was the place for evening entertainment, he said, noting several other establishments in the Samish area offered music.

Once open, Frank-n-Stein Pub’s hours will be 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday, open later on Friday and Saturday. Details and updates can be found on the company’s Facebook page.

This story was originally published January 27, 2019 at 5:00 AM.