Kokoda Plots Hospitality Debut with Malvern Pub Plan

Kokoda Property Group has launched a hospitality division to operate food and beverage venues across its residential developments, beginning with The Angel of Malvern in early 2026.

Kokoda Property Group founder Mark Stevens said the hospitality arm expanded the developer’s focus beyond traditional residential projects and was a natural extension of the group’s approach to placemaking.

The Angel of Malvern is a three-level proposal comprising a public bar with courtyard beer garden, Mediterranean dining on the first floor and a cocktail bar on the top level.

The venue is in a heritage building that opened in 1856 as The Gardiner. Restoration work would honour the landmark’s history while “shaping its function as a neighbourhood social hub”.

The Angel of Malvern is part of Station Place, a retail precinct anchoring Malvern Collective, Kokoda’s $450-million mixed-use development at the junction of Glenferrie and Dandenong roads.

Malvern Collective comprises two residential towers of 205 apartments designed by Jackson Clements Burrows with interiors designed by Carr.

Ground-level retail and dining spaces include a grocer, barber, cellar door, jeweller, cafe and fitness studio.

New laneways connect the precinct to Glenferrie Road and Malvern Station.

Amenities include concierge service, wellness centre with hot and cold plunge facilities, steam room, gym, outdoor swimming pools, private cinema and a terrace with firepit and barbecue kitchen.

Kokoda completed construction of Malvern Collective this month, with settlements now under way. Woodbridge Capital has provided a residual stock facility for the project.

▲ A rendering of Kokoda’s Malvern Collective comprising 205 apartments.

Stevens said the completion signalled confidence in Melbourne’s market recovery after the developer had focused on its Queensland expansion for several years.

“The fundamentals that make this city so liveable are strengthening again and Malvern Collective stands as a response to, and a reflection of, that renewed confidence,” he said.

Kokoda Hospitality also plans to operate multiple venues at Teneriffe Banks, the developer’s $1.5-billion Brisbane project with IHG Hotels & Resorts.

The development will include Queensland’s first Kimpton Hotel that includes two signature riverfront restaurants, poolside terrace, speakeasy vinyl bar, rooftop cocktail bar and pool club.

Kokoda was approved for the project in July and settled the site in September 2025. It recorded $285 million in sales soon after.

The developer has also picked up 487-495 Bridge Road at Richmond, a 1650sq m site with 50m of dual frontage.

Plans for that site include a midrise residential development with wellness amenities and ground-floor retail and dining spaces.

The project would be designed as an “urban lantern” featuring a sculptural retail frontage that honoured the street’s heritage character.

Kokoda’s current portfolio comprises $3.3 billion in projects across Victoria and Queensland.