100 Burgers Group has revived the former Penny Black of Brunswick, sporting a streamlined moniker and nod to grungy 70s Japanese pop culture.
Previously operated by Colonial Leisure Group, Penny Black was a haven for live music, with a big front bar and 948-pax capacity. It has been dormant since the pandemic shutdown of 2020.
Melbourne-based 100 Burgers hold a collection of pubs, bars, restaurants and beer garden breweries around the capital, including Welcome To venues at Thornbury, Bowen Hills and in Brunswick.
The freshly tweaked Penny’s reopened 28 July, back under the control of 100 Burgers, which were the group that gave it its outgoing name, back in 2008.
Group director Scott Assender told Broadsheet they were eager to buy it back, and plan to restore it “to its former glory”.
The new concept is said to be influenced by Japanese rock bands of the 70s, such as Bow Wow and Happy End. The venue takes a lead from imagery based around the genre, which they describe as “post-Woodstock”.
In the kitchen is former Mulberry Group chef Sandy Melgalvis, who opted for a menu based in share plates and beer-friendly food. Selections include Cauliflower Katsu Sando with BBQ-sauce, and Swordfish Tataki. Star of the line-up is the Pork Rib-Eye Katsu.
Having long been known as a place for live music, fresh acts and touring bands will be welcomed back once restrictions ease.
100 Burgers now counts multiple venues in the suburb, amid the proximate Brunswick Mess Hall and Welcome To Brunswick brewery beer garden, which is linked to Penny’s by an alleyway soon to be adorned with festive directional lighting.
Assender says they are engineering a precinct environment where patrons can go from one venue to another as the night progresses, “depending on what they want”.
