Lismore's Back Alley Gallery along Eggins Lane has been devoid of businesses for quite some time. Mostly, it is used as a service or loading lane for a number of Keen Street premises.

In two weeks' time, that is about to change when the new Blah Bar opens at 25 Eggins Lane, opposite the drop-off point for the Salvos Carrington Street shop.

The Blah Bar is the brainchild of two brothers, Pat and Eddie Stanton.

The unusual name stuck when Pat was tired of talking about what he should name his new business.

"I was trying to come up with names, and every suggestion I had, you'd either have people that would like it or people that wouldn't like it. You can't make people happy, and I'm a bit of a people pleaser. Out of frustration, I was just sick of talking about it, actually, blah blah blah.

"I was going to go Blah Blah Bar, but then I was like, No, that's too much."

This is Pat's first foray into opening up a business; his history is working in kitchens as a chef around the Northern Rivers. Pat wanted to get out of the kitchen and start something of his own with his brother.

"What we wanted to create was an eclectic spot, something that was like, you're still in the laneway when you come in here. Council put a lot of money into the laneway; they were quite pleased when I approached them with the idea of doing this, just because no one's opening businesses in the laneway.

"I was walking around town at the beginning of the year when I was planning on opening up like a restaurant or a cafe, and I thought, what's the point? There's quite a few of them, but there's nothing that actually brings people in to eat at these places. So I thought, I'll just open a little bar with a bit of food and maybe put on a little bit of live music. And slowly, people started catching word of it, and it sort of took on a life of its own.

The Lismore community got in Pat's ear as he moved from his initial concept to the end business plan.

"My intention was to have a nice, quiet life and just put out a bit of good food, some cheap drinks, and just have a spot. But the people of Lismore are just creative people."

"To be honest, all the musicians in town were desperate for a set spot to go play at. So, I started looking into it, and I said, All right, I'll make some adjustments to what I want to do. I don't have a choice now but to make it a live music venue, which wasn't my intention.

The space is relaxed, low-key, with second-hand furniture, a pool table, and community art and graffiti adorning the walls. The stage is a small set-up that can be easily set up or taken down.

"We're not going to do a whole lot more to the place. We're going to have paint pens out so people can draw on the walls. We're going to get some local artists in to do murals, but people can draw and sticker stuff.

"We're not here to try and steal customers from somewhere else. The idea is to add to things, you know. People can come here for a bite to eat and a drink, and then go to another bar for a cocktail and a nice wine in a nicer environment. Or, if you want a beer on tap, there's pubs. Our idea is to fit in and create something that's not really here for people. Not everyone wants to sit in a flashy place and have cocktails. Some people just want to come to a grimy spot and have a good bit of finger food and drink a beer from a can and listen to music."

Pat and Eddy plan on offering simple food, beer from a can, wine and cocktails.

"I'd like to potentially look at opening the kitchen up to have chefs come in and do like a kitchen takeover for the day, where they can do their own little thing as a function. They take their sales, and we'll take our sales and just sort of work by promoting others. We're interested in working with other businesses in the area.

"We're running just cans. We're not going to have kegs or anything like that. It's going to be a very simple, simple menu that is affordable. The Same with the drinks.

"The food will be more like a couple of substantial meals, like burgers, but not like burgers do, something nicer, and then probably a range of skewers. We're looking at maybe going with a Middle Eastern flair on it, because there's not a lot of Middle Eastern in town doing lamb skewers and sort of chicken shawarma and that sort of thing. And then make some falafel, and make our own fresh dips and things to go with it.

"So, all things like that, little finger food kind of stuff. And again, trying to keep it as low as possible."

"We'll have wines, and we'll have cocktails. I've got a small distillery with a friend down in Orange, so we'll be doing a lot of brandy-based stuff. We've got a lot of brandy to move. We want to try and bring back the 70s brandy, which has a lot of nice brandy cocktails. So where we're going to aim to do that again, and that will keep the cost down. It means that we can sell affordable cocktails that won't break your bank every night."

The doors will open for the first time on Saturday, November 21, and then will be open seven days a week from 2pm. Pat and Eddie do have neighbours, so they have soundproofed their room as best they can, passing soundproof tests, but want to be respectful of neighbouring businesses and upstairs tenants.

"When a lot of the food places close, we'll open, then we'll serve food from then. We're not really allowed to have loud music until about 6pm, when they're done upstairs most days by about four anyway, so we just keep in contact with them and then they let us know when they're done, and we can turn the music up.

"We want to try and operate when there's nothing happening in town. When you come in on Sunday or Monday, it's just dead, and I'm sure people want something to do, but there's just nothing to do to bring them in. So, we're going to start doing Sunday sessions, just start with bands and music on a Sunday.

"We have bands from Sweden, bands from America, and we've got bands from Japan interested in playing here. So, a few international acts want to play. Bands coming down from Brissie. We've been put in contact with a guy that runs a clubhouse. He's got an excess of bands that have nowhere to play between the Gold Coast and wherever they're travelling, so people are desperate for a venue."

Pat and Eddie want to create a safe space for everyone, so there is one rule.

"Just don't be a dickhead, basically, or be a good dickhead. Good dickheads keep the bad dickheads out."

The Blah Bar will open on Saturday, November 21, at 25 Eggins Lane, Lismore CBD, in the Back Alley Gallery. Check them out, and support another new business that is helping to grow the Lismore CBD.