Manly Wharf Bar is no more, with an official rebrand as Felons Manly launched today, Thursday 17 October and confirmation of a multi-million dollar redevelopment of the connected former Aldi space as a micro-brewery and beer hall for live music and indoor markets.
The $13.5 million development application, recently submitted to Northern Beaches Council, is the first stage of a planned full-scale revamp of the Wharf first flagged when the Artemus Group purchased the property for $110 million last year.
First, an explainer on the name.
If you think it’s criminal to rename Manly Wharf Bar, you’re partly right…
Felons is a name inspired by a true tale of four felons who set sail from Sydney to Illawarra in 1823 but were blown off course. The squad was lost at sea before shipwrecking on Moreton Island, just off Brisbane, before living with the Indigenous people of that area.
Although ‘Felons’ is the type of behaviour the new venue wishes to avoid (explained in more detail further down), the story represents the business’s “thirst for adventure” and the group claims that relevancy more than ever as they track the route back to Sydney from Brisbane, where the ex-convicts originally departed over 200 years ago.
Whether the DA is well or poorly received by the pubic is yet to be seen, though universal approval is expected for the plans to relocate the notoriously unpleasant bathrooms to street level.
The DA requests permission to bring the toilets upstairs and place them next to the old exit of the Aldi space.
This isn’t Artemus Group’s first rodeo when it comes to wharf refurbishment. The Howard Smith Wharves (HSW) entertainment precinct, located in Brisbane, is the group’s shining example of how an area can be refurbished by them, arguably for the better.
Post the Artemus takeover, the riverside pier, visited by Manly Observer last year, is equipped with cultural cuisines from Asian to Italian, a seafood hall, boutique hotels, and yes, its very own Felons brewery and bar. The space also incorporates a large hall, which holds various interactive events such as live music, movie nights, and weekly ping-pong tournaments. There’s also playgrounds and open green spaces for families.
The group’s vision to transport this lively culture for all demographics to Manly Wharf is well within its scope says Brand Manager, Dean Romeo, who wants to ensure the business gets the balance right with locals.
“We’ve taken over Manly Wharf and Manly Wharf Bar since April 2024, and a really important part for us, kind of coming in and being the new custodians, was to listen to the local community,” Dean told Manly Observer, sitting at the Wharf Bar deck as a photographer shoots Felon beverages nearby ahead of Thursday’s relaunch.
“Felons Brewing Company, as a brand, and as a venue and as a brewing business, is all about creating a space where all walks of life can come and relax and feel comfortable. A place where you can come and instantly feel like you can drop your shoulders and, you know, a place that feels natural to have a conversation.”
Artemus Group has already sunk their teeth into some significant changes within the Wharf Bar renovating the furniture, design and incorporating a whole new menu curated by former culinary director of Rockpool Bar and Grill, chef Corey Costelloe.
Expect much higher quality foods, but wth prices to match.
The relaunch will also showcase a selection of Felons brews. Introducing their Galaxy Haze Lager, Australian Pale Ale and limited edition Japanese Rice Lager, it’s clear the business will follow suit in contributing to the Northern Beaches alternative beer-boom.
Dean says they plan to introduce a new music program which will feature live jazz, soul, and funk bands most nights.
At this point, a natural thought would be, ‘That’s all well and good, but why does this company believe it knows what’s best for a place where they’ve just set up shop?’
Artemus Group commissioned a YouGov survey of Northern Beaches residents to ask what they would like to see changed in the area — hence the bathroom relocation request.
The survey results showed that 53 per cent of people believed the wharf needed a revamp, while 83 per cent of residents supported the creation of dedicated spaces for cultural events and performances. The most popular additions chosen were pop-up markets, live music, and mid-week activities.
Allocating dedicated spaces for local artist performances, artists’ markets, food festivals, and community events was also favoured.
The new Manly Wharf venue aims to bring closer attention to families, and have also invested in 24 hour security, which was they were surprised was not already in place when they took over.
“It was quite a surprise to us that Manly Wharf had no security,” he said.
“So, from the first day, from the first hour that we took over, we introduced 24-hour security across the wharf, just to try to lift the overall safety of everybody traversing through and wanting to come here and have a good time. And to make it that little bit more family-friendly, because that’s really what we’re about.”
He insists the venue will be for a broad range of patrons though.
“Breweries have been around for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Their primary purpose is a place for the community to come together, relax and enjoy quality products. So really success for us looks like an environment which is inclusive of all ages,” Dean shared.
“You’ll have an elderly couple on one side, a young family in the middle, and then, you know, a bunch of party-goers on the end, and for all those different demographics to kind of be able to reach over to one another and have a comfortable scenario, so they’ll feel comfortable talking to one another.”
Among the least popular recommendations revealed in the survey were features such as takeaway breaky, cocktail bars, pubs, and pub-style dining. Venues you’d hit if you threw a rock anywhere in Manly (an action most likely followed-up by a prompt spear tackle from the bouncer).
Playground areas and free activities for kids were the least recommended, but despite this, the group admits it would, “love to make plans to put in a play area”. Plans to host free kids’ face painting at Felons Manly every Sunday, have already been announced with further activities promised.
But what of the existing businesses?
Which tenants will remain or go is yet to be revealed – as observed in our Manly trip to Brisbane wharf precinct earlier this year, almost all the tenants there are owned and operated by the Artemus Group.
“There are a few tenants who have a lease agreement, including the car park, a few of the restaurants up on the ground floor. So there’s a solid mix there,” Dean said.
“We have no plans at this stage – they’re all doing such a great job. You know, if I think about Hugo’s, Queen Chow, these are institutions for Manly, and they’ve got leases in place, and we love working with them.”
Although much is planned, nothing gets underway unless Council approves the DA.
Until then, Dean and the rest of the Artemus Group say their focus is launching Felons Manly and listening to the community to ensure their future projects will be enjoyed by all.
“Our focus at the moment is the Manly Wharf bar and launching Felons in this space as of Friday, 18 October,” Dean added.
“We’ve been spending day and night here getting under the skin of what makes Manly and the Northern Beaches so special. So, for us, it’s just about listening. A hell of a lot more, and pulling a plan together which is reflective of what the community is after.”
If you’d like to see the development application yourself, or submit your thoughts to council, submission are open until 1 November here.
