The Bavarian set to open at Knox Ozone by mid 2017

A YEAR of inactivity at a prime Knox Ozone site has ended, with a German beer house owned by Australia’s leading hospitality group set to open mid-year.

The Bavarian will open at Knox Ozone later this year.

A YEAR of inactivity at a prime Knox Ozone site has ended, with a German beer house owned by Australia’s leading hospitality group set to open mid-year.

The Bavarian, owned by the Rockpool Dining Group, will open its first Melbourne venue at Westfield Knox in August or September.

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The venue will open on the former site of Bar Bosh, which closed in February 2016.

The Bavarian has three venues in Sydney and is dubbed the “younger brother” of the Bavarian Bier Cafe, another one of Rockpool’s brands.

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Rockpool also owns Munich Brauhaus in Melbourne’s South Wharf.

The Bavarian offers 17 different beers, traditional German fare, its own gelato range and a 1kg “Schnitzelmeister” challenge.

The restaurant will also offer pizza — cooked in as little as 90 seconds — from Fratelli Famous Pizzeria, one of Rockpool’s other brands.

Rockpool Dining Group chief executive Thomas Pash said the group decided to bring The Bavarian to Knox after they found interest among local beer lovers was strong.

Mr Pash said they did a lot or research before opening new venues and found many Munich Brauhaus customers “live in and around Knox”.

Mr Pash said the venue would open “just ahead of Oktoberfest”, after the launch of The Bavarian in Brisbane.

He said the Knox eatery would offer “a unique point of difference from the eateries and pubs already located in the vicinity”.

“We’re bringing a full-service, family-friendly, casual dining, beer and sport-centric entertainment experience to the centre,” Mr Pash said.

Mediterranean restaurant Miss Pickle 1979 also looks to be opening next to The Bavarian, with signage and a liquor-license application on display.

Several major restaurants have closed in Ozone and there has been mystery surrounding the redevelopment of Westfield Knox.

Outback Jacks and the iconic Dragon Boat shut their doors earlier this year.

It’s not known what will replace the Dragon Boat.

But the future of Ozone’s longstanding Seamus O’Toole’s Irish Pub looks to be safe for now.

A spokesman for the pub, who refused to be named, said its immediate future was secure, as it had “at least a couple of years” left on its lease.

The spokesman said new venues at Knox Ozone would be good for the area.

Westfield Knox spokeswoman Julia Clarke said they intended to create “a lifestyle destination for families in the community” as part of the centre’s redevelopment, and food and leisure would continue to “play a big part of what the Ozone has to offer”.

Ms Clarke said some tenants had chosen to leave Ozone because their leases expired.