Gold Coast development: Big revamp planned for popular tavern

One of the Gold Coast’s most famous watering holes is planning a major revamp, with new designs revealing the tavern’s incredible new look.

ONE of the Gold Coast’s most famous watering holes is planning a major revamp.

Plans have been lodged with the Gold Coast City Council for a major facelift of the Mermaid Beach Tavern.

Artist impression of a proposed revamp of the Mermaid Tavern on the Gold Coast.

A planning report reveals the scale of the changes, which will include an entirely new facade at the building’s entrance fronting the Gold Coast Highway.

Changes include:

* A reconfiguration of the bar and bistro area

* The removal of the rooftop terrace and VIP Cabana lounge area

* The relocation of a disability access bathroom from the lower level to the ground floor.

* The removal of the smoking area terrace and the extension of an outdoor area on the lower level.

The proposed interior of the tavern.

“The proposal shows an interesting and attractive new facade to the existing building comprising two types of feature vertical batten screening mainly applied to parts of the north, south and east elevations,” the planning report said.

“The box frames proposed to the building entrance allows for good wayfinding, legibility and weather protection.

The building’s facade will be changed.

“The new facade provides a contemporary, coastal vernacular design with an appropriate visual appeal that activates the important street frontages.”

The Mermaid Tavern is now 20 years old and was given approval by council in late 1999.

Prior to that the building famously housed Queensland’s first McDonalds, which opened on August 24, 1975.

Queensland's first McDonalds opened at Mermaid Beach in 1975

It traded for 24 years before closing in 1999 and is now fondly remembered as a landmark for those who grew up on the Gold Coast from the 1970s to the 1990s.

One of the drinks areas.