Soft opening for Bar 100 entertainment complex

A four-storey ''entertainment complex'', developed by the Kazal family on the back of a controversial lease deal for one of The Rocks's premier heritage buildings, has quietly opened its doors.

Bar 100 had a soft opening on Thursday night with the Kazal family saying it was more of an entertainment complex than a club to rival the nearby Ivy. It is similar in style to Ivy, with the restored building boasting four bars, a restaurant across different levels and capacity for up to 850.

The Kazal family have been big players in The Rocks in the past two decades, developing a string of businesses in the precinct, including the Guylian Belgian Chocolate Cafe and The Rocks Cafe. But securing the former Mariner's Church at 100 George Street that is now Bar 100 is the most contentious deal.

Concerns were raised after the Kazals signed an exclusive lease over the property, which included a deal with the owner, the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority to throw in $6.5 million of taxpayer money for renovations. The Kazals obtained the exclusive lease without having to go tender.

Earlier this year, the Independent Commission Against Corruption held an inquiry into dealings between the Kazal family and the former number two at SHFA, Andrew Kelly. The ICAC inquiry is yet to publish its findings.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald