TOUGH economic times and a quiet winter have forced Bunbury hospitality venues to alter their image to get people through the door.
Recent Bunbury projects include major renovations to the iconic Highway Hotel, the renaming and rebranding of Exit Night Club as The Club with international entertainment, the Parade Hotel referred to as The Pub and renovations at Fitzgerald’s Irish Bar and the Prince of Wales Hotel.
The latest pub to be brought back to life will be The Reef Hotel with major changes planned over this year.
Director Kevin Mann told the Bunbury Mail of plans to introduce an Australian and local bottle shop, a beer garden and a café/bar with a Spanish influence.
“The hotel will now function in three areas with the middle section in the Three Monkeys Bar and the beer garden for the youngies,” Mr Mann said.
“We don’t really intend the different areas will mix.”
Mr Mann said the pub will bring a new spice to town and said hard economic times forced him to take a new direction to generate more income.
“We only utilise one third of the pub and we need to utilise the premises better,” Mr Mann said.
“We are also committed to change to make the hotel more user friendly and caters for a bigger market.”
Mr Mann organised a pamphlet drop to the residents of Marlston Hill to make them aware of the changes.
“Pubs get a bashing all the time so I wanted people to know we are doing something and we care what they think,” Mr Mann said.
