December 10, 2015
The South Burnett has a new hotel following the official launch of the Bunya Mountains Tavern at Dandabah on Wednesday night.
The tavern is operated by Eleanor Kratzmann, wife of South Burnett mayor Wayne Kratzmann.
The liquor licence has expanded the drinks on offer in the Elz Bistro area to include boutique beers on tap as well as a full range of alcoholic beverages.
There is also a new bottle shop supplying takeaway liquor which adjoins the revamped General Store.
Wayne told the invited guests that this was “Stage 3” of the couple’s plans for the business, with more ideas ready to be explored.
They opened the upmarket Lyrics Restaurant adjoining Elz Bistro in May last year.
And the old kitchen is now being demolished to make way for more modern cooking facilities.
Wayne said he would not be “retiring” when he finished his term as South Burnett Mayor in March; instead he would be devoting his efforts to help Eleanor grow the business.
The couple initially just wanted to provide takeaway liquor for tourists staying in nearby rental accommodation as well guests dining at the restaurant.
But after exploring the alternatives, a hotel licence seemed the best option.
They wanted to have a boutique beer on tap, and ended up selecting a Melbourne-based company, Thunder Road (for the taste, former radio announcer Wayne said, not because it is the title of a Bruce Springsteen song …)
Thunder Road Brewing Company Queensland manager Damon Byrne said the Kratzmanns had selected a gold-medal award winning beer, and two silver-medal winners, to feature at the tavern.
- Related article: Lyrics Opens In Record Time
Congratulations El and Wayne on expanding your business to make the Bunyas an even more attractive tourist destination in the South Burnett.
How appropriate! Just what a place of such peace and beauty needs is a tavern to fuel anti-social behaviour changing everything us nature lovers like most about the Bunyas. People can’t drive as it is on them roads, let alone after a few “Kraft beers”. How cheesy :(
Congratulations, look forward to a visit and a cold ale in the near future.
Congratulations on the new Bunya Mountains Hotel. Looking forward to enjoying many more good nights and fine dining at Lyrics. Your venture can only have a positive effect on the future of tourism in the beautiful Bunya Mountains.