Old pub’s fresh faces
A SOUTH Townsville hotel has been given a facelift under new management.
Publicans Sheldon and Louise Moncrieff had dreams of owning a pub with their mates Sigmund Gruss and Casie Phillips for more than a decade before taking on the Commonwealth Hotel recently.
Operating the 1901-built hotel has been in their sights for more than three years but it wasn’t until it went into administration this year that an opportunity arose to lease it.
“It’s a beautiful old building and we’ve got some big plans in place,” Mr Moncrieff said.
“We want to be here for the long haul and hopefully buy it soon.
“It’s got a lot of potential with the open space and room for a playground and the outdoor bar.
“It’s a community hub, not just a pub – somewhere families can come and let the kids run.”
As parents themselves, the Moncrieffs said families were at the heart of the new and revived pub, as well as creating a venue known for local live music.
“There’s a real gap in the market for venues that are open for breakfast and lunch that offer spaces for families and big groups who have lots of children,” Mr Moncrieff said.
“It was a priority for us to provide a space where the kids can tear around while Mum and Dad can sit back and relax.
“We want to do live music from Thursday to Sunday, maybe original music nights and build that scene back up because the Commonwealth Hotel has always been affiliated with good live music.”
Extensive work has gone into the Allen St hotel, with new paint, floors, an impressive outdoor playground and cafe. Ms Moncrieff said it was important to keep the pub’s traditional features while injecting a bit of their own personality too.
“It’s a beautiful old building so we just wanted to respect it,” she said.
“Our houses are a bit of a muddle of quirkiness and heritage kind of stuff so we just wanted to create somewhere that we like to visit ourselves, which is what the Skull and Swallow Cafe is.”
The publicans aim to capitalise on the establishment’s prime location when the North Queensland Stadium opens next year, with plans to reopen 15 rooms and an outdoor deck above the bar.