Brisbane’s iconic and historic Jubilee Hotel of Fortitude Valley has reopened after a hard-fought multi-year makeover in conjunction with the $200 million development at its rear.
Built 1887, the pub became part of the Jubilee Place redevelopment taking place on its former carpark, bringing a 14-storey commercial tower behind and above the heritage-listed hotel, due to come online in 2023.
Tony Burnett bought ‘The Jube’ in 2007. After executing a minor renovation, he was looking to bigger plans until 2008 when the GFC struck and aspirations became sparse.
Around five years ago he began discussions with developer JGL properties for the project to see the tower and a major refurbishment and expansion of the pub.
For the Jube’s design, Burnett found inspiration in Sand Hill Road’s Melbourne creations, the Garden State, Bridge, and Prahran hotels.
However, they were unable to apply ideas freely, engaging specialists and heritage architects to negotiate changes and repairs, only to have a consultant from Canberra inform them the Hotel is in fact under Federal heritage protection and many things had to be done differently.
The original plan was to open during August of 2021, allowing suitable lead-in time for Christmas.
But pandemic supply chain disruptions had well and truly set in, ushering delays in materials such as concrete, steel, tiles and furniture. Much of the kitchen equipment was coming from overseas, with hiccups such as the deep fryers arriving two units short.
The revised plan had an opening date in August this year, which ticked over into September, then October.
Burnett says at times the hurdles made him feel like throwing in the towel, but they “had to draw the line” and get it open to the public, even though not everything was ready.
The menu was cut down by two thirds, due to the sheer reality of not having enough staff, and in November the Hotel held a suitably subdued opening.
“It’s been going exceptional since then,” reports Burnett. “It’s blown away all targets and the KPIs I set.”
Meanwhile, some of the furniture – being made in Australia – still hasn’t arrived, due to hold-ups in getting the right fabric and timber, and even workers. The 22 chairs for The Jube’s private dining room, dubbed the Journo bar in a nod to the journalists that used to frequent the establishment, arrived from Melbourne short four, apparently the victim of ‘shrinkage’.
“We’re explaining these things as we go through them to our customers, and they’ve been very receptive of our approach towards them,” says Burnett. “They’re just happy to get back inside a renovated hotel.”
The positive response is likely at least in part due to the standard of the result and 1000-pax venue, which is proving above and beyond the expectations of patrons.
The transformation has seen the ground floor public bar restored, now clad in timber and brass, between exposed brickwork.
Burnett says the open-plan kitchen is “second to none”, ranging state-of-the-art equipment including a sexy new Italian pizza oven. Geared toward aesthetics, allowing patrons to see everything being made by hand, the design incorporates elements such as exhaust canopies built into the slab so they won’t be seen, and chutes behind the kitchen dumping refuse straight downstairs.
The revised and “approachable” menu comes from chef Max Ghimire, bringing share plates, pizzas, a range of steaks, and plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free options.
The drinks menu centres around the new microbrewery, with four house-brewed beers, and a signature reserve cellar stocking hundreds of varietals.
But a highlight of the new Jube is the new beer garden, sheltered by a ceiling set 14 metres above the ground so as to feel like a beer garden while being enclosed. The ceiling is lit from below by spotlights in the bar and garden, reflecting a soft light across the area.
There is a plethora of mixed-use and function spaces, including some ‘chill out’ rooms with chaise lounges, and Frankies Terrace – an indoor/outdoor function area for up to 65-pax named in honour of Tony’s father, Frank.
Despite the size of the offering, the design scales down to require only the sports bar and main garden bar in quieter times, because “you’ve got to keep your overheads down” in large-format multi-storey hotels, notes Burnett.
There have, of course, been the critics of the rework, particularly on the topic of live music, as some bemoan its demise while others celebrate the reduced noise, but Burnett says on the whole the response has been very positive.
Set to be the new go-to destination of Valley patrons, The Jube’s GM Chris McNeill notes “we want to be the best pub in Brisbane”.
