It can’t be said there’s a bat in their belfry, since Voodoo Brewery in New Kensington doesn’t have a belfry.

But there is a dragon on the second floor. It’s red, with yellow eyes, fangs and claws and a tail snaking down the stairs.

The Red Dragon Lounge was created in an empty space on the brewery’s second floor. Its old-fashioned windows overlook Fifth Avenue.

“We wanted to do something cool and different that nobody else has,” said Michelle Thom, brewery operations manager.

Worked on this year and recently finished, the lounge can be rented for private gatherings such as bachelor and birthday parties and business meetings. It can accommodate about 20 people, Thom said.

It’s already booked for every Saturday in November, she said.

The room can be rented by itself or in packages that can be customized to customer needs with food, drink and a server. It’s available in four-hour blocks when Voodoo is open, starting at $100.

The building that is now Voodoo had been the Ritz Theater. It was among five once in downtown New Kensington and, with the Dattola also on Fifth Avenue, one of only two remaining. Voodoo’s coming to the city was announced in 2019.

Because of the covid pandemic, Voodoo was holding many events and activities outside before gradually moving inside and fully opening in June 2020. A grand opening event was held in August 2020.

Creation of the lounge, which Thom said cost about $10,000, is part of the second phase of the brewery’s development.

The Ritz was built in 1921. For the lounge, Thom said they were going for a 1920s vibe in decorating it with red drapes and doors, a wood floor, antique furniture and Chinese lanterns.

Artist Shane Pilster, who did the large mural on the outside of the building, was commissioned to create the lounge’s signature dragon, which Thom said took a week to complete this summer.

The dragon’s tail runs down the stairs, which are illuminated with red LED light strips. The dragon’s yellow eyes, teeth and claws glow under black lights.

In addition to the mural outside Voodoo, Pilster, 39, of Squirrel Hill said he did two of four murals in downtown New Kensington as part of “Murals on a Mission,” which he helped start with Voodoo owner Mike Malcanas. They hope to do three more before the end of the year.

For the lounge, Pilster said they wanted a red dragon, only not like one from the game Dungeons & Dragons. He went with an Asian style for it.

“They left it up to me,” he said. “It’s probably one of the favorite things I’ve painted in the last year. I’ve painted a few dozen murals in the past year. I guess that says a lot.”

The lounge includes men’s and women’s bathrooms on either end, which Thom said were original to the building and brought back to life. Of note are the floor urinals in the men’s room, which Thom said are difficult to get parts for.

“We tried to work with what was here,” she said.

In addition to the fully private Red Dragon Lounge, Voodoo has a semi-private lounge on the first floor. There’s no rental fee for it, but reservations are taken.

Thom said Voodoo’s full basement, about 6,000 square feet, also is licensed for alcohol sales and might be in use for large events this winter.