This was published 8 months ago
It was supposed to be a party for the ages. Instead, it was a shambles
By Gemma Grant
For those who regularly attend high-profile restaurant and nightclub openings in Melbourne, the launch party for the new, much-anticipated brewery in Footscray’s Franco Cozzo building was supposed to be a big one.
More than 600 media people and VIPs were invited to Moon Dog’s Wild West opening on Wednesday, where they were promised a mechanical bull, cowboy-boot-shaped glasses and the chance to snap a selfie in front of the Western-themed decor.
Owners Josh Uljans (left) and Karl van Buuren ride the mechanical bull at Moon Dog Brewery in Footscray.Credit: Jason South
“We’re calling it, this party will be one for the ages!” the invitation read. “Think Moon Dog drinks, Tex-Mex inspired food, mechanical bucking bulls, horseshoe booths and a rooftop with Melbourne cityscape views.”
Instead, organisers were forced to pull the plug just 10 minutes before opening the doors at 6pm.
Co-founder Karl van Buuren said the delay was the result of the City of Maribyrnong’s last-minute refusal to issue a fire safety permit.
The business had already postponed the opening by a week. It was “really, really upsetting”, van Buuren said.
Karl van Buuren outside the old Franco Cozzo building in June 2023.Credit: Justin McManus
But the council has denied it was responsible for the cancellation and said it was disappointed that the brewery had “misrepresented” the issue.
A safety officer had flagged concerns that the fire hydrant booster assembly point was encroaching onto the footpath, van Buuren said.
“It really took us by surprise,” he said. “We tried so hard in the hours leading up to the VIP event to work with the council to get it over the line, and it just didn’t happen.
“We had people coming from all around Melbourne. I stood out the front and just had to apologise.”
Uljans and van Buuren on the roof of their new venue.Credit: Jason South
Van Buuren said it was especially frustrating because staff believed all the testing had been completed.
“We worked with our fire engineers to get that system up and running. We had it tested, fully compliant and approved by the certification authorities.”
Maribyrnong City Council chief executive Celia Haddock denied a council decision had caused the cancellation of the event.
“The decision to not issue an occupancy certificate was not made by council – this matter is between Moon Dog and their private building surveyor,” Haddock said in a statement on Thursday afternoon.
“Our understanding is that earlier this week, Moon Dog’s private building surveyor, who is responsible for issuing the relevant building permits and certificate of occupancy required for the venue to trade, had flagged issues with the fire hydrant and booster cabinet, as the works had not been carried out in accordance with the relevant Building Regulations 2018.
“Council is disappointed that the cancellation of the opening has been misrepresented by Moon Dog as being a decision made by council, especially given how closely we have worked with them throughout the planning and construction process.”
In a response to the council’s statement, van Buuren said: “On Tuesday an inspection of our fire system uncovered an issue in the installation process, which meant that a few changes needed to be made to achieve certification.
“These changes were then carried out the next day and the system was then certified. Council then made us aware that the location of the fire hydrant, which was positioned as per our approved plans, was not allowed to be on the footpath and would need to be relocated inside the building.”
Publicists scrambled on Wednesday to call hundreds of guests before the event to let them know it had been called off. But for many, the call didn’t come. Those guests were handed a free beer at the door and asked to come back once the permit was obtained.
Van Buuren apologised to the Footscray community for the delay. “We’re really sorry … We’re trying really hard. We know there’s a lot of support out there for this venue to open, and we can’t wait to have everyone in here for a beer.”
He said Moon Dog’s focus was getting the venue open and that it would provide details about an opening date as soon as possible.
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