Business
18 September, 2026
Opening success for Elmhurst Hotel
ELMHURST Hotel has wasted no time welcoming locals back through its doors, with the newly reopened pub already proving popular since opening this week.
The hotel opened on Sunday for a special preview, giving locals the chance to enjoy a cold drink and return to their much-loved watering hole, before the pub and café officially opened to the public on Wednesday.
Owner Jodie Low said the response had been more than what they expected.
“Sunday was huge, they basically drunk us dry, almost,” she said.
“It was great, everyone was really good. Everyone was very happy with what we've done. We are getting them from all over, which is great,” Ms Low said.
The reopening has already seen local groups return to the pub, with the Navarre netball team among the first sporting groups to make use of the venue for an end-of-year celebration.
The hotel is reopening in stages, initially offering its bar alongside the newly added café which is serving coffee and food during the day.
Mr Low said meals will eventually be available once things settle.
“We aren't doing meals just yet, but we have got the food in the cafe during the day,” Ms Low said.
The café is open from Wednesday to Friday from 8am to 3pm and on weekends from 9am to 2pm, while the pub is open from 3pm until late Wednesday to Friday and from midday until late on weekends.
A full dining service is expected to be introduced over the coming months, with Ms Low hoping to offer dinner from Wednesday to Sunday once kitchen staff are secured.
“Once we do have meals, we will be doing dinner Wednesday to Sunday,” she said.
For a small community such as Elmhurst, the return of its pub means more than simply having somewhere to enjoy a drink, it’s a place that provides a spot for locals to catch up, sporting groups to celebrate, visitors to stop and the community to come together.
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