A new specialist whisky and tequila bar that features a cigar lounge theme and VIP liquor lockers has made its official debut.
Touting itself as the first and only Whisky Club clubhouse on the Coast, WAT Den held an exclusive opening event on Wednesday night.
The Mooloolaba bar was created by husband-and-wife duo Dean and Jeanelle Mariani with Felipe Bley, who have owned and managed venues across Melbourne and South-East Queensland.
“Dean and I have had venues in Melbourne for the past eight-and-a-half years but after visiting Mooloolaba we fell in love,” Mrs Mariani said.
“After a small amount of convincing from our business partner Felipe that this was somewhere to be, the three of us dreamt up this venue together.
“We really wanted to bring something to the Mooloolaba Esplanade that’s a little bit unique and it’s really exciting to be here.
“The big thing for us is that there is a bit of a renaissance happening and we wanted to be part of that. Hospitality is vibing and we knew we could bring something different that hasn’t existed before.”
The opening event was attended by Sunshine Coast Councillor Joe Natoli, who shared his support for the venue.
“It’s been a great night learning about this new venue in Mooloolaba. WAT Den is something quite innovative and different and the way it’s been designed is really something special,” he said.
“I hope people will support WAT Den as the region needs more diversity in terms of what we have available here for both locals and tourists. I’m very pleased they’ve opened and I wish them all the success.”
The Whisky Club is a national group of whisky lovers that has a network of clubhouses across the country where members can go to sample their collections.
Mr Bley said the team was thrilled to showcase refined service to its guests.
“It’s a very proud moment for us and being part of the Whisky Club community gives us an edge to provide drinks to customers that they can’t find anywhere else. When you come into WAT Den, you’re not just coming for a drink, you’re in for an experience,” he said.
Mrs Mariani said she was excited to support the growth of Mooloolaba as a dining, beverage and entertainment destination.
“So far the support from locals has been amazing. For us, we want WAT Den to be a place that tourists will come and visit but we want locals to really feel like this is their place,” she said.
“The guests who joined us for our exclusive opening were so supportive and excited for what we want to achieve and what our venue has to offer the region.”
WAT Den is open Tuesday to Sunday from 4pm until midnight (open from 3pm on weekends) in the Oceans building at 105 Mooloolaba Esplanade. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
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