Ollie’s Is Back With A New Brunswick East Parlour That Promises More Than Pizza

Ollie's returns to Brunswick, bigger, better and in the belly of the Beast.

When Sydney Road music venue Stay Gold and Ollie's Pizza Parlour tragically closed in June, the team was already working on a new location. The new Lygon Street digs takes over the space formerly occupied by the Beast dive bar.

“We’re turning it into a bigger bar that's got a space with its own atmosphere, so it's not just the pizza joint, it's its own entity,” co-owner Aran Tanaka says.

Ollie’s is set to open in late November. The team will still sling hot slices, but the new set up offers much more. It's a place you'll gather for beers and a game of pool, catch free gigs and spend Sundays nursing hangovers outside with a bloody mary and roast. Neon and skateboards will deck the interior, one wall plastered with a history of rock posters from their bookers.

The Happy Horsemen live music hospitality group (Shotkickers, Mr Vincenzo's) was behind Stay Gold and Ollie's, comprising Takana, Ben Turnbull, Noah Honeywill and Paul Goddard. For the new Ollie's, they're joined by Simeon Lord (Shotkickers), Lee Treweek (Handshake MGMT) and Ash Ibraheim (Northcote Theatre, PICA). 

A new bar sits to one side, opening up the space for tables and booths, with an expanded kitchen. Pizza still reigns supreme, the signature hand-stretched bases sitting between New York and Neapolitan, topped with Ollie's faves such as the porky Hogman's Delight and cheesy Ain't It Fungi with wild mushroom ragu and truffle, as well as classics like pepperoni. On top of old favourites, expect more American diner-style mains (hotdogs confirmed) and a Sunday Roast. Ollie's mozzarella sticks stay, and BBQ is possible: Lord has cheffed at Le Bon Ton, Bluebonnet and Que Club. He's hinted at house-made hot sauces.

Beers lean towards Australian craft breweries with some American, plus Aussie and Italian vino, from a DOC Trentino sparkling to fun bottles such as Frank Cornelissen Susucaru Rosato. Ollie's Sour has made the cocktail list, with Yuzu Hugo Spritzes, Strawberry Americanos, picklebacks and Sunday bloody marys.

“We're gonna have an infused chilli tequila so we can bang out very spicy margs,” Lord says. Perfect training for the planned return of the chilli-eating contest. 

Ollie's is also set to host a packed calendar, whether it's food specials, pool comps, trivia or DJs. “If it isn't straight up live music, it'll be music adjacent,” Lord says.

While they're renovating the bandroom upstairs, downstairs gigs will be free and frequent.

“Stay Gold got shoe-horned straight into alternative,” Lord says. “I've been looking more to the diversity we have at Shotkickers… anything and everything.”

The old Street Fighter 2 World Championship game has come over from the old Ollie’s, with TVs for sports and outlets by the window for laptops, if beer sounds like a good work lunch.

“There's that strong sense of community in this area,” Lord says. “It's going to be a space where you can just rock up, you'll likely know someone. Having a standalone venue that has its own identity, its own space, is what I'm very excited about.”

Ollie's is set to open in late November at 78–80 Lygon Street.

Imagery: Alessio Valentini-Marano