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Manly
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Work to transform an abandoned Aldi supermarket into a waterside brewery and pub is set to begin at Manly Wharf.
Planning permission has been granted to Brisbane-based hospitality entrepreneurs, Artemus Group, for its Felons microbrewery.
The venue, including bars and eatery, on the site of the discount German supermarket that closed in September 2022, will accommodate 700 patrons.
It is a major part of the massive refurbishment underway at the wharf precinct since Artemus bought the leasehold for $80m — and purchased the adjacent Wharf Bar for $30m — in May 2023.
Artemus has already changed the Manly Wharf Bar into the Felons pub and bought the Hugos pizza restaurant on the wharf late last year.
The Northern Beaches Planning Panel approved the $13.5m development application for the microbrewery last week.
Artemus already has a track record in waterside hospitality projects, having developed Brisbane’s Howard Smith Wharves precinct, which includes the Felons microbrewery, a boutique luxury hotel, event spaces and a range of restaurants, cafes and bars.
When Artemus took over the Manly Wharf leasehold, it said it was looking forward to “breathing new life” into the site.
Since then, it has vowed to make the area more inviting for locals, commuters and tourists by “revitalising the waterfront precinct into a premium hospitality destination, creating a thriving community and cultural hub for kids and families to grown-ups and everything in between”.
Manly Wharf currently has 20 specialty tenancies, including some eateries like El Camino Cantina and Sake.
The development application includes new publicly accessible toilets — on the ground floor instead of in the basement car park — and weekend daytime markets, which would be held inside the new premises on four Saturdays each year.
Documents linked to the application show Artemus also plans to offer “occasional live performances”.
“The pub and microbrewery will serve as a hub for local artists to showcase their craft in the form of live music and performances, as well as high quality, artisanal food and beverages,” according to the statement of environmental effects.
The new premises would be operated by the one management team in conjunction with the existing Felons pub.
The microbrewery will have two bars, at either end of the building, serving food and drinks.
Its patrons will see 144 wooden barrels for ageing the beer, as well as four brew house hot and cold liquor tanks and several fermentation tanks.
The venue will open 7am to midnight between Monday and Wednesday and on Sunday. It will close at 1am from Thursday to Saturday.
In a statement, Artemus said the new work was “part of our vision to transform Manly Wharf into a safer, more lively and family-friendly precinct for the whole community to enjoy”.
“We’re proud to deliver improvements and innovations like our microbrewery to connect the community to the beating heart of Manly Wharf,” the statement read.
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