This just in - though apparently there's been a lot of planning in the background. The space formerly known as "The Apothecary," will be rebranded next week as "The Public" - to be run by Adam Devermann, who was manager before. New faces in will be Kyo, creator of the low-key Japanese-style Papaya Bar, and Min Yoo, who's worked as a restaurant and bar consultant around the city.
In terms of food, they say "Richard Chang, will lead the charge with Chef de Cuisine Franky Shen to improve upon and revise the current food selection." Chang first created 'The Public’ in San Francisco, which got some majorly good reviews. It looks like the guys will revamp the menu to "emphasize a new American, full family-style menu with daily and seasonal specials." They say that your favorite comfort foods will finally make their way to Shanghai. Well, we can only keep our fingers crossed!
In terms of the former owners rigid rules? Here's what these guys say to those
"Apothecary Shanghai was created with the intent to provide a unique atmosphere for house-crafted cocktails and artisan food to be enjoyed by Shanghailanders.Rigid rules and a stuffy atmosphere was never the intention, but rather an unfortunate by-product of a failed partnership.
Unfortunately, many of the quirks that helped build the Beijing brand and reputation just did not fly in Shanghai. It’s no secret that the general public was annoyed and frustrated. We’ve read the reviews. We’ve heard the comments. We understand your frustrations. And we agree completely. And yes, we will finally have Coca Cola. Yes, you can sit before the rest of your party arrives. No, you don’t have to sit at the bar."
Nyeh nyeh nyeh nyeh nyeh!
