Bars + Pubs

Yeehaw! Moon Dog Wild West is coming to the old Franco Cozzo building in Footscray

Moon Dog Wild West Source: S Schultz

Hold onto your hats! The three-level venue will boast 100 beer taps, plus a live music stage, pool tables, juke box and even a mechanical bull.

Giddy up, folks! Moon Dog’s hitched their wagon to a rootin’-tootin’ new venture – Moon Dog Wild West in Footscray. Hold onto your hats ’cause they’re not just moseying along; they’re headin’ west! For many Melburnians, the spot might ring a bell as the famed old Franco Cozzo building.

Come March 2024, doors swing open, unveiling Moon Dog Wild West, a place twice the size of their already colossal Moon Dog World in Preston. Spread across three levels, the establishment will boast an impressive lineup of over 100 taps, saddle up to 800 patrons, and is as big as a Texas sky.

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Moon Dog OG: Source Moon Dog

Embracing that Wild West theme, the adventure kicks off the moment you push through them swinging saloon doors. And what marks the spot? Well, reckon it’s hard to miss the centrepiece, a bucking bull holding court on the first floor. From horseshoe booths to a western arcade, a Kids’ Ranch, and a barrel ageing room, this level’s got more twists than a lasso.

Heading up to the second floor, patrons will find themselves in honky-tonk heaven with a live music stage, pool tables, a jukebox, and a balcony outpost lounge. But hush now, there’s a secret—the elusive Pianola Bar awaits discovery. And to get y’all in the Wild West mood, the menu’s serving up juicy American barbecue bites fit for a rancher’s feast.

Finally, the rooftop, a Western oasis with Melbourne’s breathtaking cityscape as its backdrop. Offering up Tex-Mex treats alongside Moon Dog’s gastropub classics, this rooftop paradise is set to cater to Footscray’s fortune seekers.

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According to Joshua Uljans, Moon Dog’s CEO & Co-Founder, “With a venue of this size, we know we could achieve something that hasn’t been seen before and really go bigger than we ever have. We’re hoping to create somewhere for people to enjoy the outrageousness of it all!”

But hold onto your hats, ’cause that’s not all! Moon Dog’s got more tricks up their sleeve, with plans for Doglands at Marvel Stadium, accommodating over 1,500 patrons, and a seaside venue in the works for Frankston. Saddle up, Melbourne. The Wild West is coming to town, and Moon Dog’s leading the stampede.

Moon Dog Wild West will open 2024 at 54 Hopkins Street, Footscray; moondog.com.au

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