As one of Perth’s longest standing venues at 128 years old, The Brisbane Hotel will call last drinks later this month as it undergoes major restorative works designed to honour the past while catering to the city’s evolving landscape.
From July 20, The Brissy — as it is affectionately known — will shut up shop until mid-November as it takes on a large-scale refresh promising to breathe new life into its facade and interior in a tribute to its 1898 foundation.
ARK Group general manager Adam Kapinkoff said renewing a sense of the original charm to the corner of Highgate’s Beaufort Street and Brisbane Street has been a longtime coming.
“We felt it was the right time to look at the venue and restore a lot of the character, the heritage, and the story of The Brisbane Hotel,” he told PerthNow.
“And in March next year, just down the road, there’s the introduction of Perth Bears into the NRL which is an event of state significance, which we’re looking forward to as well. So a lot of the works are around restoration, but also preparing ourselves for the future.”
The venue’s last major renovations took place in the early 2000s.
Mr Kapinkoff said this year’s works would mark stage one of the re-development, underscored by a restoration of the facade that had been “buried under nine layers of paint”.
“And internally trying to display a lot of the original features; the brickwork, the saloon bar areas, and that kind of coincides with the introduction of large new commercial kitchens, a toilet, and a full refurbishment inside as well,” he said.
Stage two of the refresh is scheduled to take place in 2027, with a considerable expansion extending the site into the adjacent car park once the purchase of additional land from the council is finalised.
Mr Kapinkoff said the enlarged footprint would allow for a large outdoor pavilion featuring a 4m x 2.5m screen, a 10m bar, and activity room for kids, though a clear timeline has not yet been determined.
A revitalised food and drinks menu has also been teased.
The family-owned and operated ARK Group sold off several renowned bars and pubs in 2022, including Market Grounds and Scarborough Beach Bar, with Mr Kapinkoff suggesting The Brisbane Hotel’s landmark project had become its primary focus.
To mark the end of an era, locals have been invited to raise a glass at The Brissy on the weekend of July 17-19, with a host of eye-watering specials sure to send the venue out in style.
Pints as low as $6 headline the Friday’s “power hours”, with Saturday to showcase the AFL derby, along with games and DJs, and a closing party on the Sunday to serve up further food and drink specials to round out the weekend.
Friday 17 July – Power Hours
● 3pm–4pm: $6 pints and wines
● 4pm–5pm: $7 pints and wines
● 5pm–6pm: $8 pints and wines
● 6pm–7pm: $9 pints and wines
● 7pm–8pm: $10 pints and wines
Saturday 18 July – Super Saturday
● Live sport on the big screen, including Fremantle Dockers and West Coast Eagles matches
● Split the B and Spin to Win (12pm–3pm)
● DJs until late
Sunday 19 July – Kill the Kegs Closing Party
● $6 pints all day
● Half-price food all day
● DJs until late
Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.
Sign up for our emails