In one of Lismore's worst-kept secrets, the Lismore App can officially announce that La Baracca will be moving around the corner after Steve and Julie Krieg purchased the historic Rous Hotel.

The rumour mill has been in overdrive for some time as the Mayor has been seen inside the building but could not officially make an announcement until the property had settled.

"It took a while to get it across the line. No commercial purchase is ever really easy so we've had our challenges but it finally got it over the line on Friday so I can relax a bit now," he told the Lismore App.

Mayor Krieg is certainly putting his money where his mouth is, after spending the last 12 months trying to encourage people to reinvest in the city following the 2022 floods.

“The plan is to re-invest in the city, eleven weeks ago I really wasn't looking at doing anything like this, but the opportunity came up, and we'll turn the old Rous Hotel into the new La Baracca,” he said.

Renovations are underway with Mayor Krieg sharing the family's vision for the building.

"We are excited, very excited. Not many opportunities present themselves to buy a piece of Lismore's history and have the opportunity to bring it back to life albeit in a different format."

"It's not going to be a pub as people remember the Rous. It will be La Baracca but it will have a really nice whiskey and wine bar and plenty of beer on tap. Down the track, we will hopefully have Australia's worst vegan restaurant but Lismore's best Steakhouse."

“A lot of people would remember the old Bellowing Bull and how they did it, so we are looking at something along those lines down the track.”

"It'd be nice to be able to walk in and pick your own cut of steak and see the chef cook it in front of you. I like the theatre behind that sort of thing, but that's going to take a while to get to. Things like this never come together as quickly and as easily as you'd hoped. But we're able to get the first stage happening relatively quickly, which is bringing our cafe from across the road into this building."

"So hopefully, very soon, we'll be serving coffee and breakfast and lunch out of here. We've got plans to extend our hours and go to seven days a week for the cafe."

"As not only the mayor but as someone that lives here, I want to keep as much local money in our economy as possible. I'd like to think that people will see the value in not only having a really good nightlife but also a really good cafe culture as well, seven days a week, then there's no need to travel to the coast."

As you would expect him to do, Steve Krieg has used local trades and local businesses in the rebuild of La Baracca.

"Joel Jensen's coordinating it all and we're using Lismore Floor Coverings for example, doing all our flooring and Kevin Gava Brick Laying who will build the bar and do all of that sort of stuff. All the timberwork is recycled bridge timbers from the Lismore LGA. So, for me, it's as much about supporting the community and supporting local businesses and hopefully, the locals will get in and support us when we get in and open."

There is a lot of history on the current site, on what was originally opened as The Court House Hotel in the early 1920s.

The Court House Hotel in 1928.

It is understood The Court House Hotel burnt down in the 1950s before being rebuilt and reopened as Rous Hotel in 1959.

The Court House Hotel was rebuilt and reopened as Rous Hotel in 1959.

There have been a number of extensions and modifications over the years, but La Baracca is sure to bring a new vibe to the venue.

“It’s going to be a very different style, we'll still have the bar and tap beers, but the previous owners came and took the pokies and the licenses that come along with that,” Steve said.

“My wife Jules and I are very conscious that we don't want to have La Baracca as a pub as such, but we do really want a nice family-friendly bar and restaurant.”

“As well as operating our café, which we've done for over fifteen years now.”

“The cafe and all the trimmings that come with that will still be operational, but we’re hoping to grow the restaurant side of things, especially given the extra space.”

“We have the opportunity now to do functions - weddings, wakes - you name it, we will be able to do it here, which is something that we haven't been able to do in our current venue.”

“My wife is also an incredibly talented musician, so eventually, in what was known as the Green Room at the Rous, we're hoping to turn that into a really good piano bar.”

“It’s really going to become a one-stop shop hopefully, everyone can come in and have a few drinks after work, meet the wife and the kids for dinner, and then sing and dance the night away to a bit of good music.”

Now, we know the plan, it just comes down to timing as to when the Rous Hotel sign comes down and the La Baracca sign goes up. As Steve Krieg said, "very soon".