After one heck of a long build, Melbourne's newest home of good times opens to the public today. The Keys Leisure Centre in Preston could well be the city's most multifaceted venue too.
It can cater to 650 punters, who'll have the choice of taking up residence in one of the dozen bowling lanes at the venue’s heart, or spending time in the arcade, bistro or beer garden – all while being kept sated by the 42 taps spread across its three bars.
Getting The Keys to this point has taken close to three years, but co-founder Tom Peasnell says the idea had been in the works for much longer for him and fellow founder Jon Rowatt.
“We've had this plan to do a bowling alley for about seven years,” Tom says. “We’ve been on multiple trips to America to get it moving.”
Eventually, the pair found the right site to bring their vision to life: an historic 2,000 square metre warehouse. Initially, the intention was to open The Keys last summer but once they started building it they decided instead to take their time to get it just right.
“We took a long time with it,” Tom admits. “About halfway through the build, we were rushing to get it over and we went, ‘Fuck this. Let’s make it the way we want to make it' – and spent another year on it.”
It’s certainly impressive, with custom-designed stained glass windows decorating the bars and reception area, bar panels that conjure the feel of an old pub, and recycled and reclaimed materials a feature throughout. Their bowling machinery is sourced from America and, with The Keys being a COVID project, they faced continually delays getting stuff shipped into Australia.
“It was about getting that connection between old and new,” Tom says. “We didn't want to be a vintage bowling alley where everything was fully vintage and breaking down and where the gameplay and everything wasn’t that fun.”
The pair have long been bowling fans and, as hospitality professionals, they felt Melbourne would embrace a venue that brought together bowling, pool, arcade machines and a quality hospitality offering under the one roof. It's an approach that echoes some other recent openings in the craft beer world where good beer is just part of a grander concept: the likes of Moon Dog World and Bodriggy in Melbourne, or The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre in Sydney.
And the hope at The Keys is that people will be just as likely to visit for a drink or a meal as they are eager to test their skills in one of the lanes.
“We’re not good bowlers," Tom says, 'but we used to go bowling every second week or so. We really enjoy the social aspect of it, but the only problem with going to some places [is] the food and beverages offering just isn’t there.”
And when it comes to creating hospo spaces that work, they know what they're doing. Tom is a chef by trade and involved in the likes of Nico’s Sandwich Deli, Dexter and Takeaway Pizza. He and Jon are also involved in Dom's Social Club, a three-level venue in Melbourne’s CBD that features a pizzeria, pool room and rooftop bar.
The menu at The Keys is made up of pub classics and pizza, while 14 different beers from the likes of Bodriggy, KAIJU! and 3 Ravens, including two brewed just for the venue, pour across its three bars. [You can read about the team behind that tap system, Chilled Solutions, and their efforts to ensure The Dude's favourite White Russians are pouring here.]
Given the venue’s scope and size, they’ve kept the tap list fairly approachable in the hope they’ll attract an audience in the suburbs beyond Thornbury and Preston, while you'll find everything from Budweiser to Future Mountain in can and bottle.
“When you do a venue of this size, you need to be very approachable,” Tom says. “You can't just be going to craft beer drinkers, even though we drink craft beers, and that's our schtick.
“So the way we've done it, we've got a really extensive sort of pack list and really approachable tap list. So that’s really pretty well known Melbourne breweries and a few odder ones, but we’re essentially trying to hit certain styles.”
He adds: “Bowling can be cool but it’s pretty much not cool. So, we’re trying to get really approachable in what we’re doing so we aren’t shocking for anyone. But craft beer drinkers can walk in and go, ‘Yeah that’s a sick IPA!'."
The Keys Leisure Centre is located at 1/188 Plenty Road, Preston. You'll find it and hundreds of other good beer venues and breweries in our free Crafty Pint app.
Will Ziebell is a history graduate who knows more about The Wire than he does about beer. He was awarded the AIBA Best Media trophy for 2018; HBO have told him to please send his fan mail elsewhere. He can be found on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
The beer(s) or moment(s) that turned you on to good beer:
Spending time living in the UK (and backpacking across Europe) when I was 21 certainly gave me a better understanding of the beer and different styles of the world. But I'd say it was a holiday to the High Country a little while later when lunch and a tasting paddle at Bridge Road Brewers created an obsession with Australian breweries and locally made beer.
You've got three beers to turn someone else on to good beer; what are they and why?
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Boatrocker's Miss Pinky: It's a raspberry-packed Berliner Weisse that neither looks or tastes the way many people conceive of beer.
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Bad Shepherd Hazelnut Brown: A luscious mix of chocolate and hazelnut that can appeal to the sweet tooth within us all.
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Stone & Wood Pacific Ale: As the father of my oldest friend once said to me: "It's the perfect refreshing pint that smells like they've loaded it with the God's herb."
The last beer you enjoyed:
Garage Project's DFA while sitting at the bar at Miss Moses as the sounds of The Rolling Stone drifting in the background.
Three things that represent you:
- Bruce Springsteen
- Ken Burns
- The State Library of Victoria
