Pubs are often the heart of a country town, and Kin Kin is no exception.
It is the first thing visitors see when they enter the quaint village in the Noosa hinterland, and when American-born entrepreneur David Ezrine arrived five years ago, he saw an opportunity too good to resist.
"The 1980s called and they wanted their pub back," Mr Ezrine said.
"We saw this dilapidated hotel … and fell in love with the bucolic landscape."
It took nearly two years for Mr Ezrine and business partner Matthew Flynn, who has long-standing family ties to the region, to restore Queensland's century-old Kin Kin Hotel.
The process included removing the poker machines.
The revamped watering hole still includes casual dining but also features The Woodshed — a degustation-only restaurant that recently won Best Destination Dining in the 2026 Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards.
Mr Ezrine's next venture is a tourist park to be built opposite the hotel.
"That's the part that's going to tie it together," he said.
"Instead of being cheek to jowl, you'll be able to stay in a beautiful place with shade and trees."
Noosa Council recently approved a request from Mr Ezrine's company for the park to be assessed under its superseded planning scheme, instead of its current one.
The council said that, while it was yet to receive a formal application, under the scheme, the proposal was code-assessable due to the land's size, the absence of cabins or villas, and the limit of 25 camping sites.
No public consultation is required for code-assessable developments, but that has not stopped some residents from taking to social media to voice their concerns.
"I'd welcome them to come down to the pub and have a word with us," Mr Ezrine said.
"Don't sit behind a keyboard bashing out venom; come have a conversation. The ones who have done that have actually come around to a very different opinion."
Cafe out, bakery in
Mr Ezrine bought the Black Ant cafe and general store from chef Jodie Williams three years ago, which had been the only other place to buy food in town.
The cafe announced on social media in May 2024 that it was closed for "extensive renovations" and has not yet reopened.
Mr Ezrine said the leased site was now used for workshops and as a bakery for goods that were sold at his hotel.
Ms Williams, who runs an accommodation business in the town, said she sold for family reasons, and only after being approached by Mr Ezrine.
"It was extremely busy, and that was the main reason we sold due to a high workload," the former cafe owner said.
Local coffee farmer Peter Hinner said the reason he settled in Kin Kin was for the "quietness" and the "family atmosphere" created by the original cafe.
"It was the heart and soul of the town, and if you come here on some of the days that the pub is shut, this place is just dead," Mr Hinner said.
The hotel is open four days a week, from Thursday to Sunday.
Developer 'monopoly' on town
Mr Hinner said Mr Ezrine had a "monopoly" on the town after purchasing multiple commercial-zoned main street properties.
"The primary issue is the amount of properties that David's bought and what he intends to do with them," Mr Hinner said.
"It doesn't take much to change the identity of a place."
Mr Ezrine said he owned "a few" commercial properties in the town.
"There's one other, The Depot, which is one we don't own," he said.
"To say, 'You've got the whole town', it's all of about 20 or 30 metres long, so it's not a big accomplishment."
A 'responsibility' to invest
Head chef Oscar Holgado said changes at the hotel over the past few years were aimed at supporting the community, including a local ceramicist who made the restaurant's dinnerware.
"We're using local farmers; we've got Mitch and Nina Bray, their beef is on the menu, we've got [producer] Georgia Brown, her vegetables are on the menu," Mr Holgado said.
"I suppose we haven't shouted loudly enough about that."
Mr Ezrine said he was not someone who would normally "stand on a soapbox" because "actions speak louder than words".
He said pending council approval for the tourist park, he planned to open the pub seven days and reopen the general store.
"That opportunity was something that we saw as a responsibility almost to come in and invest the kind of money that we have to create an inclusive environment — that's what we're striving for."
