By Luke Voogt
Work has begun in earnest on the new-look National Hotel with the venue set to open in November.
Scaffolding went up at the site a few weeks ago, but heavy rains prevented work, said owner George Ramia.
“We should have the painting finished in two weeks.”
However, the pub once affectionately known as ‘The Nash’ won’t return to its old self, Mr Ramia said.
He plans to re-open it as a boutique bar, a far cry from the “grungy” live-music home of Geelong’s alternative crowd and late-night dim sims.
“It will be totally different venue from what it used to be,” he said.
“I think people’s tastes have gotten a bit more sophisticated in Geelong. We’re aiming for that 25 and above market.”
Mr Ramia, who has owned the pub since 1993, said the reborn venue would focus on “good beer, food and wine.”
He said it would suit craft beer lovers, as it would be the second pub in Geelong to introduce ‘tank beer’.
“It’s more pure than your standard beer on tap.”
The pub will boast a second level bistro and a roof top bar, with a limited capacity for live music.
Mr Ramia had originally planned to open the hotel in December 2015, but the renovation had undergone several “building delays”, he said.
“We’ve been slowly working on it for about a year now.”
He hopes to hold the National Hotel’s official launch in December and open the pub a month before.
While old-school hipsters and metal heads may mourn ‘the old Nash’ there were still “a lot of nice little venues in Geelong for live music,” Mr Ramia said.
The 150-year-old National Hotel closed in 2013, due to structural and maintenance issues.
