The Victoria Hotel has been a historic landmark on the corner of Peel Street and Victoria Street, North Melbourne, since its establishment in 1863.

In 2019, Yong Pun and his partner Hui Yee Hoo (known as Yee) acquired the institution after making a life change from running a finance brokerage business and as a manager for Australia Post respectively. 

“Yee has a friend who's a real estate agent for businesses, and Yee likes a drop of red now and then. One day her friend jokingly said, ‘Oh, you should buy this pub, because it's for sale.’”

They inspected the premises and its surroundings over the course of two weeks and decided that they liked it so much they would purchase the hotel. 

The couple invested time and resources to change the ailing pub, opting for a more modern look while still retaining the old charm such as the original fireplaces.

“Yee mainly does all the accounting side besides serving patrons, and I manage the handyman and IT requirements,” explains Yong. “We’re a family business as Lydia, our daughter, works here too while going to university. She is really chatty and friendly, and people gravitate towards that.”

The Victoria Hotel offers nine beers on tap, from Carlton Dry to craft beers like Stone and Wood, while the menu options include jaffles in the daytime and burgers and chicken at night. 

When catching up with friends, you might like to try a game at one of the pool tables or set up one of the many board games.

As well as running the pub downstairs, the couple manages a hostel upstairs for a mix of travellers and locals who may be in the CBD for shift work.

“We've converted five rooms into private rooms with queen beds. Then the rest are bunk beds, and in total, we have fit up to thirty to thirty-five people.”

The next plan for this grand old dame is to fit out the kitchen for operations before Christmas.

As Malaysian immigrants, Yong and Yee have plans to bring a piece of their homeland to this part of Melbourne.

“I’m hoping to serve Malaysian-inspired hawker-style food,” Yong says. “That will make our pub a bit different.”

“People don't just come here to drink. They come in to chat, to find company and community.”

Words by Joyce Watts & Photography by Anna EncIO