PHOTO COURTESY OF HEY BABE

Now that their daughter is an adult, restaurant industry veterans Danielle Cain and Rob Hirst can dote on their other pride and joy, Hey Babe.

The married couple, who fell in love while working at Soba in Shadyside, say the upscale lounge will offer craft cocktails, wine, beer and non-alcoholic options, a menu of small plates, retro decor and chill vibes.

It’s expected to open this summer inside East Liberty’s historical YMCA building on South Whitfield Street. The 116-year-old structure also houses The Maverick boutique hotel and a private event space. Cain and Hirst lease the ground-floor kitchen and bar, as well as the attached full-service dining area that will launch six to eight months after Hey Babe debuts.

So, what gave birth to this idea?

Like a lot of Pittsburghers, Cain and Hirst were big fans of Whitfield, the restaurant chef Beth Zozoula operated from the building when it was known as Ace Hotel. Both entities closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, The Maverick opened under the management of virtual hotel operator Kasa.

The neighborhood’s nightlife scene ebbs and flows; Blue Sky Kitchen & Bar on North Whitfield Street recently closed, but Palm Palm, a restaurant from the folks behind Downtown’s Ritual House, is opening this spring, and Title 9, Pittsburgh’s first women’s sports watch bar, is hosting March Madness pop-ups for March 21, 23, 28-31 and April 4-6 before it’s officially “game on” for the business.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HEY BABE

With Hey Babe – named after their preferred term of endearment – Cain and Hirst are giving the space new life by renovating the bar, replacing the flooring and light fixtures, adding high-top tables and installing booths and banquet seating.

This food-and-beverage Dream Team has made a career out of creating unique bites and beverages.

Cain, a Pittsburgh native, got her start making subs at Uncle Sam’s in Oakland in the late-’90s, a gig that inspired her to enroll in Pennsylvania Culinary Academy. She earned her chops at Casbah in Shadyside before helming kitchens at other big Burrito Restaurant Group locations, including Soba and Kaya in the Strip District. Most recently, she served as executive director of the company’s catering division, a role that allowed her to tackle a different side of food service while maintaining a more sustainable work-life balance.

Hirst, who grew up in the East End, was the opening bartender at Kaya in 1996. Since then, he’s mixed things up at hotspots such as Soba, Mad Mex, Sienna Mercato, Round Corner Cantina, Kingfly Spirits and Eleven Contemporary Kitchen. For five years, he served as president of the United States Bartending Guild’s Pittsburgh chapter and started a consulting firm called Cocktailwerks to help businesses perfect their beverage programs.

Like all good parents, Cain and Hirst want to see Hey Babe succeed. With 50 years of hospitality experience between them, I’d say their new bundle of joy is in good hands.