Facelift fit for history
Kuranda’s Bottom Pub will be renovated and transformed into a historic-themed gastropub aimed at showcasing the best the region has to offer to visiting tourists. The venue has been purchased by a Cairns tourism company, which has been operating in the region for 20 years and has a background in Japanese tourism. Brad Farrington is a partner in Future Investment Group Pty Ltd, which runs Global Travel Services, Doki Doki Tours and Living In Cairns Magazine.
KURANDA’S Bottom Pub will be renovated and transformed into a historic-themed gastropub aimed at showcasing the best the region has to offer to visiting tourists.
The venue has been purchased by a Cairns tourism company, which has been operating in the region for 20 years and has a background in Japanese tourism.
Brad Farrington is a partner in Future Investment Group Pty Ltd, which runs Global Travel Services, Doki Doki Tours and Living In Cairns Magazine.
“We’ve always been looking for somewhere to feed our customers,” Mr Farrington said.
“When the Kuranda Hotel became available at the start of the year, we thought it was an opportunity too good to miss.”
The prime location, at the corner of Arara and Coonoo streets, was one of the first things you see on arriving in the rainforest town, he said.
“Our goal is to breath some fresh air into the venue,” he said about the hotel, which was built more than 100 years ago.
The plan was to renovate the hotel so it had the look and feel of a pub from the late 1800s/early 1900s.
“We’ve put a new roof on it with the heritage colours,” Mr Farrington said.
While anyone was welcome to go to the hotel, Mr Farrington said the plan was for it to be marketed towards tourists.
It would not open at night, he said.
Local growers and suppliers would feature heavily in the food and drink.
“We’ll be sourcing as much local stuff as possible,” Mr Farrington said.
“We want to showcase the products that are unique to this region.”
Iron Chef Ikuei Arakane, better known as Kinsan, would be arriving this week to work with two chefs on creating a menu that emulates the era the pub was built, while using local ingredients.
“We want to replicate something nostalgic to that era,” Mr Farrington said.
“We really want to work with the locals in Kuranda … we want to complement what they’ve already got.”