The iconic Robert Burns Hotel in Collingwood has been purchased by Julien Moussi’s up-and-coming Only Hospitality Group, heralding plans for a new era and new name.
Julien Moussi is a former VFL footballer, who stopped playing for the Box Hill Hawks in 2009 after injuring his ACL. He began a sideline of coffee carts at games that grew to become multiple breakfast and lunch specialty coffee venues, and in 2017 opened his own roasting facility, Inglewood Coffee Roasters.
Only Hospitality Group (OHG) has now taken the lease of the Robert Burns, with 16 years’ tenure remaining, and with a view to its new direction have opted for the more easily identifiable moniker of Hotel Collingwood.
“It was a big decision, as it’s been the Robert Burns Hotel for a hundred years, but we feel like the place needs to have a strong identity,” he says.
Moussi’s father was in the pub game, owning several large venues around Melbourne. Feeling it’s “in my blood” he is excited the day has finally come.
“We’ve had our eye on pubs for a long time. I always wanted to follow in the old man’s footsteps and have a pub in our fleet of venues.”
Located on Collingwood’s Smith Street, amongst multiple new residential and retail developments, Moussi believes the pub has “great bones”, with the front bar set around a central island, private dining and function spaces on two levels, bistro, kitchen, and beer garden at the rear.
The RBH has reported strong weekly revenue since re-opening, and OHG will continue trading as usual for the next one to two months before shutting briefly for a facelift.
The new offering will centre around an upscale menu, led by two highly regarded chefs coming from Lucas group, presenting pub classics plus “a bit more fun”.
And of course, the new Hotel Collingwood will also serve coffee, via a high-quality coffee court sporting the Inglewood Roasters brand.
“We’re open during the day, so why shouldn’t people be able to come in and enjoy coffee?” poses Moussi.
Leaving the RBH is Gerry Nass, after three decades on the job. Nass bought the leasehold interest late 2018 from Colonial Leisure Group, re-establishing its kudos as a local drinking hole, including adding taps pouring ‘The Collingwood Six’, featuring a half-dozen local breweries of Yarra city.
Aiming for an ‘unpolished’ look he thought suited Collingwood, he likened it to putting the old girl “in a new dress”. Finding a suitable time in the market, Nass put the pub up for sale still holding application with Council to renovate the upstairs.
After a somewhat disrupted start to the campaign, CBRE’s Mat George says the process became quite competitive and a few parties were left empty-handed.
“We’re seeing an opportunity for pubs such as this, owned by single venue owners, to play a role in the growth of progressive young groups.”
