STILL CLOSED: Raychael Findlay checks out the Hopetoun Hotel yesterday. Picture: JODIE DONNELLAN
PLANS to reopen the Hopetoun Hotel have been delayed.
The historic building at the corner of Mitchell and Wills streets in Bendigo's CBD has been unused for four years.
The hotel's newest owners wanted to reopen the pub as a Lazy Moe’s family restaurant this month.
But Lazy Moe’s marketing communications manager Grazia Guida said the opening had been pushed back until sometime around August.
City of Greater Bendigo land use and planning co-ordinator Chris Duckett said the council had wanted the Guida family to consider reinstating the hotel’s original veranda, but VicRoads had denied permission for this.
He said the resubmitted development plans, valued about $600,000, included four one-bedroom apartments, internal and external renovations and an application to waive parking requirements.
“There is a heritage overlay of the site, which is why we’d be looking at the refurbishment of the exterior,” Mr Duckett said.
“All the plans really show is alterations to the internal layout and refurbishment of the building.”
Ms Guida said she was not concerned by the delays.
“It’s moving along,” she said.
“We will be up and running in the next couple of months.
“It’s just fitting out the restaurant... the facade is staying the same, but we’re fitting it out to be a Lazy Moe’s.”
Ms Guida said the chain had restaurants in six locations including Tullamarine, Melton, Ballarat and Maribyrnong.
“It’s very family oriented with very generous meal sizes at very affordable prices,” she said.
“We’re trying to keep the very original pub. We don’t want it to change much because the Hopetoun Hotel’s a bit iconic in Bendigo.”
