Metropole heads for USA

WHAT Hotel Metropole's new owners hope will be a regeneration of Ipswich's entertainment is starting in the Top of Town pub.

The hotel's Waghorn bar, beer garden and diner will open today at 11am, with the nightclub upstairs being launched on Friday.

Former employees Jason Trembath and Mitch Spurrier have returned to the Brisbane St watering hole as owners.

After buying it, they set about renovating it and planning a new package of entertainment.

"The Waghorn's menu is predominantly American style, share-style food; meatballs, hotdogs, pizzas, wedges, calamari, onion rings," Mr Trembath said.

"You can come in and sit down and have a meal by yourself or come here in a group and order different things, have a few drinks and just nibble away.

"We've got some boutique beers on tap as well."

There will also be coffee and cake with Mississippi mud cake, blueberry cheesecake - everything with that southern American-type feel.

"We don't want to be a restaurant and we don't want to be a bistro where you come and get your typical steak and schnitzels," he said.

"We are an entertainment venue so it's more about coming in and hanging out. Have a couple of wines after work or a couple of beers and if you're hungry buy some wedges or a pizza and have a bit of a peck."

Mr Trembath said the opening date for the refurbished hotel was put back a week but that it did not cause any problems.

The nightclub will be open on Friday and Saturday nights.