Comiskey Group opened their new Sunshine Coast pub, The Doonan, to the public last week after much anticipation.
The Doonan – ten minutes outside of Noosa – opened on Thursday 2 March with plenty of excitement from the local community.
The garden-themed venue offers indoor and outdoor dining, beer gardens, bars, a pizzeria, ice creamery, cellar door and multiple function spaces, with a large kids playground coming soon.
In 2006, the Comiskey Group acquired the two-hectare site in Doonan, with plans to develop the property and pre-existing building which operated as a German restaurant. The group has partnered with local hospitality veterans Josh Jones and Neville Allen on the project.
“We saw a great opportunity when the land in Doonan came up for sale. The property is just an eight-minute drive from the famous Noosa and a five-minute drive from the country town of Eumundi, making it an easy escape for locals and tourists alike! I am pleased to announce that after 17 years of ownership, the community have a new venue to enjoy,” says director Rob Comiskey.
The community has indeed been waiting for the venue to open, with over 4,000 people joining the waitlist to book a table in the restaurant before opening. Within one day of reservations being available, lunch and dinner seatings were almost fully booked for the entirety of March.
An outdoor venue
The original red-brick structure on the property has been retained at The Doonan, but has been renovated into an internal bar and function space, set among the venue’s extensive alfresco dining areas and beer gardens.
Since construction began in 2022, The Doonan’s outdoor-focused architecture has been a major talking point. More like a plant nursery than a pub, The Doonan is surrounded by lush greenery, with designer landscaping, herb gardens in large planter boxes, expansive lawns, potted plants, hanging pots, vines and garden beds. Many species of plants are used throughout the property, with olive trees a signature throughout.
The Doonan experience is centred around alfresco dining with an Italian-inspired menu and a Marana rotary pizza oven imported from Italy, churning out Neapolitan, rustic-style pizzas with fresh toppings from local suppliers like neighbouring tomato farm, Noosa Reds.
Having owned the property for 17 years, Rob Comiskey is excited the $6 million project has finally come to fruition.
“It’s been a long road and our team has worked extremely hard to get The Doonan off the ground but it’s been well worth it. We are so looking forward to welcoming visitors, it really is a unique venue and we are so proud of how it has turned out.”
The Doonan joins the Comiskey Group stable of venues, including the award-winning Eatons Hill and Sandstone Point Hotels.
