An infamous pub in Merriwa looks set for a $5 million revamp in a bid to make the venue more’ family friendly’ under new ownership.
Plans to expand the pub, which has been operating as The Sixty30, include a new children’s playground, a beer garden with “a big screen for the footy”, a grassed area and 44 additional parking bays.
The proposal would add 555sqm to the existing tavern, located along Baltimore Parade, extending on to the adjoining vacant lot, with changes also planned for the building’s external facade.
Inside, the front bar and restaurant will be updated to reflect a “contemporary Australian pub”, with more screens, a dedicated dessert bar and a menu featuring pub classics, new dishes and options for kids.
Trading hours would also be extended to 11am to 11pm, Sunday to Thursday, and 11am to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
The venue was most recently sold to WA hospitality group LocalsCo for $4.75 million in May this year.
Founded by Dave Allan and Lawson Douglas, LocalsCo owns several venues across WA, including the Subiaco Hotel, Bayswater Hotel, Exchange Hotel in Kalgoorlie and Rose Hotel in Bunbury.
Speaking to the Northern Suburbs Weekly, LocalsCo marketing manager Elizabeth Barnes said the venue had “great bones” but needed a refocus to better suit the modern local community.
“Merriwa and the surrounding suburbs are full of young and established families and there’s nothing of this size serving them in the northern suburbs. We think it’s what the area has been missing,” Ms Barnes said.
“People are driving a long way for the kind of afternoon we want to offer them, twenty minutes from home.”
Ms Barnes said the new outdoor area was what excited them most about the redevelopment.
“Parents can watch the game or have a meal while the kids are safe and occupied a few metres away,” she said.
“That’s the thing people tell us they want and can’t find up here, somewhere you can bring the whole family on a weekend, somewhere consistently welcome to make a regular family meal during the week.”
The Merriwa venue had a colourful past under previous owners, making headlines during a mid-2010s legal battle over topless performers and drawing attention during the COVID-19 pandemic over a menu referencing then-Premier Mark McGowan.
Built in the late 1990s, the pub was previously known as the Merriwa Tavern & Bistro and is now expected to be rebranded as The Merriwa.
Along with the tavern, the property also includes a liquor store, which is not proposed to be expanded under the current application.
A development application for the proposed expansion has been formally lodged with State planners and is now open for public comment through the City of Wanneroo.
The planning application also states the proposal aims to create “a more modern, family friendly venue” and upgrade the site to “better reflect the surrounding area”.
“The proposed development will result in a contemporary high-quality tavern that better serves the local community,” the report states.
Under the proposed redesign, existing access points off Lansdowne Place would remain, while vehicle access from Baltimore Parade would shift 30 metres south to connect to an expanded 111-bay carpark.
Landscaping works would see 17 existing trees retained and 54 new trees added across the venue, including seven large trees.
Public consultation on the proposal will remain open until October 22, before the Metro Outer Development Assessment Panel determines the application.
If approved, LocalsCo hopes to begin construction this year, with the works expected to take about 12 months.
The front bar and bottle shop are set to remain open throughout construction.