Harbord Hotel: Pictures of new look and plans to expand revealed

The new look for Freshwater’s newly renamed Harbord Hotel has been revealed, along with future plans to expand into the current car park.

Owners of the newly renamed Harbord Hotel, Lachlan Cottee and Glenn Piper, in what was the main bar which has been gutted as part of a $3m renovation. Picture: Supplied.

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Artist drawings of what Freshwater’s iconic Harbord Hotel will look like after its $3m renovation have been released.

New owner Glenn Piper, has also revealed his bold plans for a second phase of work which includes opening the first floor up as a live music venue and building boutique accommodation in the current car park and adding a cafe to the bottleshop.

The first phase of the development, due to be completed in December, involves gutting the ground floor of the hotel, removing walls and exposing original heritage elements such as the beautiful archway windows and the original staircase, that have been covered up for years.

Harbord Beach Hotel, now the newly renamed Harbord Hotel, Freshwater, before renovations started. Picture: Supplied.

Mr Piper, owner of the site along with Lachlan Cottee, said the pub will have a heritage feel with earthy tones and some bold retro vintage colours, inspired by Freshwater’s history as the birthplace of surfboard riding in Australia.

“We have heavily consulted with existing patrons,” Mr Piper said.

“It’s had a big influence on the direction we have taken.”

To appease neighbours concerned about noise, the windows at the front will be triple-glazed, and there will be an airlock entrance so noise remains inside the venue when people come in and out.

The double sided bar in the restaurant of Balsa, Harbord Hotel, where people will be able to eat and drink at the bar in a more casual setting. Picture: Supplied

The main bar will have a more modern look than before, with an aged timber bar with zinc metal edging and a concrete top.

There will be a sports area showing all the main games and surfing competitions and will have a “traditional, familiar finish” that locals will recognise.

Walls have been removed in the main bar to open it up and there will be seating along the windows.

An artist impression of the bar in the new restaurant Balsa, at the Harbord Hotel. It is a double sided bar, this side facing the formal restaurant space. Picture: Supplied.

The restaurant next door has also been opened up and will incorporate original huge arched windows, which will make the space feel more airy and light.

In the curvature of one wall there will be a double sided bar, with casual dining on one side with high seating where people can eat. The other side of the bar will face the more formal dining area.

The menu in the restaurant – to be called Balsa after the surfboards which revolutionised the sport – will be Californian-inspired.

Included on the menu will fresh sustainable fish and oysters.

New head chef Adam Rust, formerly of 12 Micron, who grew up in Freshwater and still lives in the suburb, is behind the new menu.

Left to right: New head chef at the renamed Harbord Hotel, Adam Rust, with owners Glenn Piper and Lachlan Cottee. Picture: Supplied.

People will also be able to eat casual, Australian pub meals in the main bar.

Both patio spaces will be accessible from the front of the building and will be for drinkers and diners.

There will be a smoking room at the back.

Mr Piper said before COVID they had around 50 staff which was reduced to around 20.

They are currently recruiting for 100 new staff for when the pub reopens.

“We are hoping to employ locals,” Mr Piper said.

He said the suburb had lost a few key businesses recently, but he hoped that the renovated pub will boost Freshwater’s fortunes.

“We want to be part of the regeneration of that,” he said.

New owner of the Harbord Hotel, Glenn Piper pours his first beer for former pub manager Sean King earlier this year. Picture: Supplied.

Meanwhile, Mr Piper put on food for around 80 locals on Wednesday night to talk about his vision for the pub and plans to open up the first floor to patrons and help revive live music on the peninsula.

He said there would be space for 200 people on the first floor, where he wants to build a bar and make use of the expansive balcony with views looking towards the surf.

He also said he wants to build boutique accommodation in what is the car park at the back of the property with an underground car park for 50.

The bottleshop will remain, although it will no longer be a drive-thru, and he wants to add a cafe.

He said he hoped to be ready to lodge a DA for the accommodation next year.

He said he was “open to collaboration with all the neighbours to define what that looks like”.

Neighbours have previously raised concerns about noise since Mr Piper took over the pub.