The creators of the impending Samford Tavern are scrambling to meet expectation, having faced long delays and a rising chorus of disgruntled would-be patrons who paid in advance for a ‘membership’.
The site at 1 Mary Ring Dr in Samford Village, in north-west Brisbane, was previously a childcare centre known as Samford House before The Cotswolds Project began a redevelopment in 2024.
Pronouncements of a Tavern began at the start of December 2024. A social media post the following month declared the Samford Tavern would be opening its doors in 2025.
At the time, the property was nothing more than a foundation and the shell of whatever was to come.
In June, Samara Abraham and partner Gaurav Dhiman, who have run the Sasquatch Bar in Chermside for a decade, revealed they were the people behind the talked about Tavern.
“Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing more about our vision, plans and how you can be involved.”
Continued posts dripped information to an eager local populace, including that the venue would be proudly pokie-free, but details on timing remained as “coming soon”.
In October the couple launched a ‘membership’ program, offering special rewards, and “exclusive” pricing, as an “early adopter incentive” for the Samford community.
The program offered the option of an annual membership as a “Season Celebrator”, costing $299, or be one of the pub’s “Homegrown heroes” and pay $149. The memberships were to begin on opening day.
It’s not known how many people took up the offer, but it was well received.
Things progressed as OLGR Queensland issued a provisional license for a Samford Tavern.
But mid-September the creators were back online lamenting the opening would not happen until early 2026.
And further concerning those anticipating its arrival, news of the site coming to market through Ray White Commercial emerged in November. The listing has since been withdrawn, and may have been concerning the freehold only.
Nevertheless, the hopeful hoteliers came under increasing fire over the early membership sales, with locals airing frustrations online about having been charged, despite the lack of an opening date.
This prompted the cessation of the membership sales, and the couple stating that anyone who has contacted them about a refund has been “responded to with gratitude” and refunds processed “in a timely manner”.
They explained they had still not taken possession of the premises, and hence not yet begun the fit-out.
At the start of December, a year after marketing promotion began, the couple were back online explaining the complexities and “many moving parts” they had battled to make it happen.
This month the project had advanced to “still working towards” bringing the Tavern to life, hopefully before its too-successful marketing sours.
“We really do believe the result we’re hoping to achieve out here will be worth the wait.”
