Pako venue Barking Dog rebrands into Queen of the West

A popular Geelong West pub has rebranded to pay tribute to its historic roots. Find out more.

Queen of the West has undergone a rebrand.

A historic Geelong West pub will be reborn with a special nod to its Pako roots.

Now under new ownership, the venue at 126 Pakington St – which has been operating as the Barking Dog for the last decade – will regain its former name Queen of the West as part of a larger transformation.

An “old fashioned” pub with vintage decor and live music at the front bar will open on Friday, while the rest of the venue will become a “high-end” Italian restaurant.

Tom Ward and Ian Nichols – also the brains behind the Eureka Hotel and Murphy’s pub rebrands – wanted the venue to pay tribute to a slice of Geelong history.

The pair have overhauled the venue both inside and out, stripping the building back to its heritage roots.

“There will be TVs in the front bar so people can gather to watch all the big games, pool tables out the back and the menu will have all the pub classics,” Mr Nichols said.

“There’s heritage in this town and we want to bring it back.”

Mr Nichols said the Italian restaurant out the back would be a “foodie haven” and fun date spot, due to open to the public in coming months.

“The menu will offer high-end Italian food at affordable prices,” he said.

“We’ll be offering wood fired pizzas, daily handmade fresh pasta and bread.”

Interior of the new pub promises a “light and bright” atmosphere, with a vintage British edge.

The corner bar was named Queen of the West during the early 1900s, having been renamed from Queen of the South to avoid confusion.

“We want all the Geelong Westians to come on board and make it their local again,” he said.

“And we want the restaurant to be the best Italian in Geelong, the place for everyone’s big life events.”

Queen of the West will reopen from lunchtime on Friday, August 18.

Originally published as Pako venue Barking Dog rebrands into Queen of the West