LocalsCo plans $5m family overhaul of infamous Merriwa pub
WA hospitality group LocalsCo has lodged plans for a $5 million overhaul of a Merriwa pub, adding a children’s playground, a beer garden and 44 extra car bays as it repositions the infamous venue for families.
Built in the late 1990s and formerly known as the Merriwa Tavern & Bistro, the venue made headlines under previous owners during a mid-2010s legal battle over topless performers. It drew attention again during the COVID-19 pandemic over a menu referencing then-Premier Mark McGowan.
The development application is open for public comment through the City of Wanneroo and outlines the expansion of the venue currently trading as The Sixty30 by 555sqm onto an adjoining vacant lot on Baltimore Parade.
The venue is set to be rebranded as The Merriwa.
Public consultation closes on October 22. Following that, the Metro Outer Development Assessment Panel will determine the application. If approved, LocalsCo, which bought the pub for $4.75 million in May, hopes to start construction this year.
Works are expected to take about 12 months and the front bar and bottle shop would stay open throughout.
Plans include a beer garden with “a big screen for the footy”, a grassed area and the new playground. Inside, the front bar and restaurant would be refreshed to reflect a “contemporary Australian pub”, with more screens, a dedicated dessert bar and a menu of pub classics, new dishes and kids’ options.
Trading hours would extend to 11am to 11pm, Sunday to Thursday, and 11am to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
LocalsCo marketing manager Elizabeth Barnes told Northern Suburbs Weekly the site had “great bones” but needed a refocus to suit the local community.
“Merriwa and the surrounding suburbs are full of young and established families and there’s nothing of this size serving them in the northern suburbs. We think it’s what the area has been missing,” Barnes said.
She said the outdoor area was the part of the project that excited the group most.
“Parents can watch the game or have a meal while the kids are safe and occupied a few metres away,” she said.
The proposal aims to create “a more modern, family-friendly venue” and upgrade the site to “better reflect the surrounding area”.
Vehicle access from Baltimore Parade would shift 30 metres south to connect to an expanded 111-bay carpark, while existing access points off Lansdowne Place would remain. The venue’s external facade would also be updated. Landscaping would retain 17 existing trees and add 54 new ones.
The pub’s liquor store is not part of the expansion.
LocalsCo, founded by Dave Allan and Lawson Douglas, also owns the Subiaco Hotel, Bayswater Hotel, Exchange Hotel in Kalgoorlie and Rose Hotel in Bunbury.
Jonathan Jackson, 15th October 2026
