The co-owner of a newly transformed historic pub has revealed how it is cementing itself as a success after its official reopening.
The 111-year-old Nambour venue was softly reopened as Club Hotel Namba on December 30, after extensive renovations and a new fit-out.
The upgrade of the building, on the corner of Currie and Mill streets, included a repainting of the exterior and much of the interior. The floor had a makeover, including the addition of polished cypress pine.
There is a new-look dining area and kitchen, bar, landscaped gardens and a unique laneway.
Co-directors Josh Allen and Paul Harley’s expectations that the fresh look and family-friendly vibe would resonate with locals and visitors, as well as positively influence the CBD, has come into fruition.
After a well-received soft opening in January with a focus on food and beverage offerings, Mr Allen said the team trialled a few menu items to “see what people wanted”.
Related story: How a revamped historic pub could invigorate town
“The feedback was really well received and that enabled us to put together a new affordable menu for the people – which was entirely feedback driven,” he said.
“We launched our full menu with the grand relaunch of the pub on March 8 and ever since then it’s gone gangbusters.
“We are regularly booked out with reservations for lunches and dinners. There are plenty of people passing by and popping their head in and being blown away by the decor and the service of the staff.”
Mr Allen put the newly revamped venue’s success down to listening to customers, nurturing staff and regularly adding new features.
“It is going amazingly,” he said.
“We’ve really set out to create enlightened hospitality and we feel like we’ve achieved that in a short space of time.
“We are taking on feedback every day as far as food and experience goes and implementing what we can, when we can.
“We are introducing new things by the week at the moment, such as a Sunday roast that’s starting this week.
“We are introducing live music every Thursday from April 13, with a trio that are quite well known around the Coast.
“They are looking to drive regular Thursday night traffic in to Nambour in general, not necessarily just to us. We see our success as the town’s success.”
Another addition to Club Hotel Namba was turning its existing laneway into something you may see on the streets of Melbourne.
“The laneway is definitely on the agenda. There’s some cool ideas coming in – I won’t say too much but potentially street art, so it will have a very Melbourne-style feel,” he said.
“That and many of the other parts of the pub are also going to get a makeover in time – we are just being realistic about timeframes at the moment.”
The venue is among the few establishments on the Sunshine Coast that are not promoting pokies and gaming, with Mr Allen believing they did not need to rely on the revenue to be successful.
There are, however, plans for accommodation in the future.
To read more about the pub’s history, check out the new menu or see what’s on visit www.clubhotelnamba.com.au.
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