Melbourne brewery Moon Dog Wild West is opening in Franco Cozzo building in April
From a mechanical bull to a rooftop bar, Moon Dog Wild West is set to bring its booming success story to Footscray in April. See when it will open.
Lifestyle
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Melbourne brewery Moon Dog is set to throw open the doors to its new Wild West venue in the iconic Franco Cozzo building on Friday April 12.
The new venue will span three levels and will be the largest pub for the business, twice the size of Preston’s Moon Dog World.
“We’re so excited to join the vibrant Footscray community in such an iconic location; the support has been overwhelming, and we can’t wait to finally throw open the doors and welcome everyone in for a cold beer,” Moon Dog co-founder Karl van Buuren said.
The highly anticipated opening in Footscray comes after a back and forth with Maribyrnong City Council last year.
Moon Dog’s proposal to transform the three-storey Hopkins Street building into a booming bar was initially rejected by Maribyrnong City Council.
Safety concerns, including possible risks to vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists around the area were originally cited as the reasons for blocking the development of the three-storey pub.
But the council reversed its decision after Moon Dog agreed to managed occupancy levels to reduce the risks of large numbers of people exiting the venue onto a narrow footpath next to the busy road.
Now, the wild west-themed venue is gearing up to welcome its first patrons.
Moon Dog Wild West will boast over 100 taps, and will fit up to 800 patrons.
Alongside its classic beers and seltzers, Moon Dog will pour a variety of wines, spirits, cocktails and non-alcoholic offerings and dish out a western and Tex-Mex inspired menu.
Sizzling fajitas, double decker tacos and a 1kg T-bone steak will feature alongside classics like burgers and parmas.
The venue will also play host to the Western Bull Riders Club — Moon Dog’s very own bull riding league.
Elsewhere on the entrance floor, patrons will find horseshoe booths, a western arcade, The Kids’ Ranch and a private dining room.
On the first floor, the Honky Tonk and secret Pianola Bar await.
The first floor also features the live music stage, pool tables, a balcony lounge and large function space.
The rooftop promises a “western, desert dream” with city views interspersed with cacti.
Moon Dog CEO and co-founder Joshua Uljans said the venue demanded a ‘go big or go home’ attitude.
“With a venue of this size, we knew we could achieve something that hasn’t been seen before and really go bigger than we ever have,” he said.
“We’re hoping to create somewhere for people to enjoy the outrageousness of it all.”
Moon Dog was founded in 2010 in Melbourne by brothers Josh and Jake Uljans and school friend Karl van Buuren.
The business operates two other venues, Moon Dog World in Preston and Moon Dog OG in Abbotsford.
It’s also set to open another two new venues this year.
Doglands will be opening on the Marvel Stadium concourse and it is set to hold over 1,500 patrons, come July.
The team are also in the works for a Frankston venue set by the sea.
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