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New local watering hole Kim Marie’s Eat ‘n Drink Away has opened its doors to the public.

It took owner John McGillion — the John of Johnny Mac’s House of Spirits — over a year to renovate the old Adriatic Restaurant location at 411 Kingsley St. where Kim Marie’s now sits.

“It took a lot of work,” he said. “There’s a lot of custom carpentry, stone work and masonry work.”

The custom work turned out a unique interior decor where many of the walls, wrought iron railings, and light fixtures are all different but the variations work well together in unison to create the space, but it’s not as visually busy as Johnny Mac’s.

“It’s totally different,” said McGillion. “Johnny Mac’s has all kinds of saying and bric-a-brac everywhere, this bar doesn’t have that — other than on the bar itself.”

The stand alone square bar has 40 seats that wraparound the entirety of it. An inlaid bartop displays memorabilia from in and around Asbury Park including a map of the city and photos of The Stone Pony and the Wonder Bar, he said. A simple look above from any of the bar seats shows old photos of buildings and people set in a gold colored awning that runs the length of the bar.

McGillion and Armenian architect Zeff Gjini [pronounced Jinny], worked together to come up with the design, said McGillion.

“It’s a credit to him that the place came out so well,” he said.

Gjini and McGillion are still working on some of the interior design elements, including the lighting which McGillion said is “far from complete.”

Ultimately, McGillion hopes to add a bar on the roof with views of the ocean and Bradley Park and a beer garden in the center. He’d also like to put a stationary tugboat braced by steel on top of it for decoration, he said.

“I think [Kim Marie’s] is something that Asbury Park will be very happy to have,” said McGillion. “I think It’s going to be a top destination.”

Kim Marie’s will feature an American-style food menu crafted by former Brando’s chef John Panebianco, McGillion said. The menu items are as eclectic as the interior design.

“There’s no particular cuisine,” Panebianco said. “It’s not Irish, it’s not Italian — it’s American melting pot food.”

For example, appetizers include corned beef and cabbage “Irish egg rolls,” and stuffed mushrooms topped with smoked salmon and goat cheese, Panebianco’s spin on salmon and lox. Appetizers, sides and sandwiches run between $6 to $12 and entrees between $19 and $29. Every section on the menu has at least one vegetarian option.

Panebianco describes Kim Marie’s as “a trendy bar with an Irish feel and American cuisine.” He’ll start to add specials — which he says he was known for at Brando’s — to the Kim Marie’s menu soon, as well as desserts, which will always include some type of cheesecake, something chocolate and a pie, he said.

Kim Marie’s is named after McGillion’s daughter, who passed away in 2004 at the age of 37. She held a MS in taxation and an MBA in accounting from Fordham University. Both degrees are displayed above the bar in a section that memorializes her in the eponymous restaurant.

Kim Marie’s was originally conceived as a bar to attract a gay demographic called Candy Bar. After purchasing the Cameo Bar on Main Street, McGillion shifted plans for the gay-themed establishment there but kept the Cameo name and chose a new name for the old Adriatic site. The restaurateur also owns several bars in New York City.

“We decided not to do the Candy Bar and when we thought ‘What should it be?’ the only answer we had left was Kim Marie,” he said. “She would love it — she deserves it.”

The Restaurant hours are noon to 1 a.m. and bar hours are 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily.

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