Zengal Hospitality Group has announced the rebrand and refurbishment of their latest acquisition, The Quiet Man Irish Pub in Melbourne’s Flemington.
The venue will be reborn as Auntie Annie’s Hotel, with the new name paying tribute to the pub’s rich history and community atmosphere.
Once known for its close ties to Flemington’s horse racing history, the pub’s upstairs rooms served as a home-away-from-home for jockeys and racegoers.
Annie represents a beloved woman who once served as housekeeper, tending to the rooms and becoming a cherished figure in the pub’s legacy. The name ‘Auntie Annie’s’ pays homage to her welcoming presence, encapsulating the new vision for the pub.
The group’s co-founder Zenita O’Neill told Australian Hotelier the new name also puts the group’s unique stamp on the venue.
“Zengal Hospitality is going to be a family of venues. We’ve got Jimmy O’Neill’s, we’ve got its naughty sister, Naughty Nancy’s, and now we’ve got the crazy aunt, Auntie Annie’s.”
The historic Melbourne pub known for its Irish charm and strong community ties, will undergo a refurbishment set to carefully restore and modernise key areas, but also retain its charm and character.
“The concept of a dark Irish pub is no longer. In Ireland most pubs are modern, bright, friendly, upbeat. The typical Irish pub is about more than just a Guiness, it’s about a whole mixture of things so that’s what we want to bring to this venue.”
Zenita O’Neill
“We’re doing a revamp that exposes a bit of the existing originality of the building. We’re trying to bring back the staircase, the main bar and we’re going to have a restaurant as well.”
O’Neill said Zengal Hospitality takes pride in their food offers, so patrons can expect to see a focus on quality meals as a part of the rebrand.
“We’ll be offering a menu with a modern Irish twist, bringing Australian flavours to Irish pub classics. We’ll also be bringing in a selection of Irish whiskeys to pair with the food and elevate that classic pub meal,” she said.
O’Neill and co-founder James Gallagher have a long personal connection to the pub which equips them with the ability to balance its legacy with a fresh look and feel.
Gallagher worked as a chef at the pub in 2003, before moving into venue management, spending more than eight years at the venue.
While O’Neill played gigs at the venue with her band Zeon and fondly remembers it as the place where they truly gained a foothold in Melbourne’s music scene.
In 2017, the pair founded Zengal Hospitality Group, first opening Irish pub Jimmy O’Neill’s Whiskey & Alehouse in St Kilda, followed by Naughty Nancy’s cocktail bar in Prahran. Auntie Annie’s is the group’s third venue and most sentimental for the co-founders.
The local community has also responded positively to the news of the revamp and O’Neill said they are excited to see what Zengal Hospitality has in store for them.
Renovations are expected to be completed in the coming months with the official opening date of Auntie Annie’s yet to be confirmed.
O’Neill said Zengal Hospitality plans to engage the community and City of Melbourne council in the reopening by welcoming in the new era for the local favourite.