Good news for lovers of whisky apples, Americana-themed eats and rambunctious live entertainment – storied bar Lefty’s Music Hall will reopen next month under the control of Hallmark Group Australia. The group, which boasts a hospitality portfolio including Irish pub Finn McCool’s, Retro’s Cocktail Lounge and Jamie’s Italian, will re-open the venue in late February, keeping the much-loved vintage honky-tonk atmosphere and live-music focus, but changing the name slightly (no more ‘Old Time’). In a statement to media, group marketing manager Tammy Wood said that reviving the venue while maintaining its history and lively whisky-soaked vibe was a “no-brainer opportunity” for the group, which will look to preserve the elements of Lefty’s that established it as a go-to boozer when it opened inside the old Baroona Labor Hall in 2013.

The group has revealed that the venue will operate from Thursday to Saturday, with the saloon’s famed interiors (think black-leather booths, vintage chandeliers, scarlet walls, giant gilt mirrors and opulent curved bar) remaining untouched, alongside Lefty’s signature menu of eats, cocktails and roster of live entertainment. Geoff Trio of Code One has been enlisted as Lefty’s Music Hall’s booking agent, with performances from US musician Eugene Hideaway Bridges and rockin’ roots quartet The Detonators slated for the coming months. Stay tuned – we’ll have more details for you as they are revealed!