Just in – Ghanem Group has taken over South Brisbane icon the Fox Hotel
A long-standing Fish Lane pub is set to gain a new lease on life, with Ghanem Group (the hospitality empire behind Donna Chang, Blackbird and Byblós) revealing it is now the proud custodian of the heritage-listed landmark. Ghanem Group will relaunch the Fox Hotel as a world-class, multi-level dining, events and entertainment hub later this year, with the goal of giving foodies and revellers a choose-your-own-adventure experience. Here’s what we know …
Just about everyone has a story involving the Fox Hotel. Raucous Sunday nights spent at Dandy’s Rooftop Bar, milestone birthdays celebrated in one of the multi-storey pub’s event rooms, phenomenal feeds at the ground-floor diner – the Fox holds a special place in the hearts of many. The venue has had a few names since it first opened as The Terminus in 1920, but with every iteration the building has remained a place where Brisbanites can reliably find good drink, good food and good times. In great news for anyone with a fond attachment to the Fox, its hospitable legacy is set to continue with a new group now operating the site.
Ghanem Group, the crew behind a number of Brisbane’s best restaurants, has announced that it has taken over the Fox Hotel, with plans already underway to revitalise the institution and reopen it in late 2025. In a release distributed to media, Ghanem Group revealed that it will be undertaking a refurbishment process across all four floors, working with Space Cubed Design Studio on an interior redesign and fit-out effort that will deliver a brand-new collection of dining and drinking experiences, while still honouring the Fox Hotel’s colourful past, and conserving the building’s existing heritage features and Art-Deco charm.
You might like
While the finer details of the new elements will be revealed closer to the Fox Hotel’s reopening, the group divulged that the works will involve a new entry on Fish Lane, a ground-floor public bar and bistro, a chicly sophisticated late-night cocktail lounge, a gaming area with adjoining bottle shop, two dedicated function spaces, and a rooftop terrace boasting views over South Brisbane’s performing arts district and out towards The City.
“This is our largest and one of our most exciting projects to date,” said Ghanem Group director Adonis Ghanem in the statement. “The growing community of this area has long-awaited the return of this legendary venue and to have the opportunity to bring the next era of dining and entertainment to this iconic site is a true honour. This is a project that we are very much excited about.”
The Fox Hotel has been closed since it sustained severe flood damage in 2022. It’s revitalisation is expected to be a massive boon for South Brisbane, which continues to evolve into one of Brisbane’s most exciting dining precincts. We’ll have more on the Fox Hotel’s opening soon.