Welcome back Hue
Former Harbour Town Hotel manager Hue Ejaz has returned to Docklands with the new Urban Alley Brewery at The District Docklands.
Mr Ejaz was a fixture of the Harbour Town Hotel from 2008 until it closed in 2016 when work started on the adjoining, soon-to-open Hoyts cinema complex.
In the interim, Australian Hospitality Management (AHM) teamed up with boutique brewer Urban Alley to bring a new concept of hospitality to Docklands.
Mr Ejaz said Urban Alley started as a back-yard enterprise but had grown to a point where it now supplied the nation’s major retail liquor outlet.
He said it made sense for the brewery to base itself at Docklands and provided a unique drawcard for the precinct.
The 25-hectolitre production facility is separated from the brew-pub by only windows, which allows Urban Alley Brewery patrons to see their brew being made while they enjoy their drinks and food.
The new brewhouse opened for business on September 7 and Mr Ejaz says local response to the concept has been great.
He said it was fantastic to be back in Docklands with a new hospitality offering.
“Even in that short time, everything has changed,” he said. “We’ve had an amazing start so it’s onwards and upwards from here.”
Mr Ejaz congratulated AsheMorgan for the investment in the old centre and said its faith was being repaid with a strong group of new retailers moving in.
“They’re dong an amazing job,” he said.
In the 18 months that the business was closed, Mr Ejaz worked at other AHM outlets – including an eight-month stint in South Australia.
He has been onsite in Docklands since May preparing Urban Alley for business. Now, with the business disruption behind him, he said: “The future is bright”.
![Cr Jamal Hakim pushing to make history in Melbourne](https://cdn.docklandsnews.com.au/themes/user/site/dn/asset/img/sized/112-Jamal-Esther-3-eda4988c8bc50b2f08f46319de393b47.jpg)
Cr Jamal Hakim pushing to make history in Melbourne
![Improved short stay reforms](https://cdn.docklandsnews.com.au/themes/user/site/dn/asset/img/sized/112-Greens-1-eda4988c8bc50b2f08f46319de393b47.jpg)