The building was previously in use as Kukui night club which opened in September 2011 and closed in May 2016. Kukui was owned by the Fever Group who announced their plans to transform their Bath Road premises from a nightclub into a German themed bar.
The promotional press release for the Bierkeller read, ‘Go on a rip-roaring musical journey to the Bavarian Bierkellers involving quaffing copious quantities of liquid refreshments, comedy crowd interaction and some damn good music playing en-route. The evening program starts from 7pm with background music whilst everyone gets seated and ready to roll. By 7.30 everyone will have a stein and a bratwurst in hand and will be preparing for the headline act with some more music, party spirit games and some competitions creating the best atmosphere. Once it hits 9 pm you will have met the band, made some friends and had some toasts. Then be ready for the time of your life as the Oompah Band take you on a journey through the Bierkellers of Germany with their amazing live show.’
The Bierkeller opened for business for the public on Friday 28th May 2016. The Gloucestershire Echo reported, ‘The Bavarian-style pub opened its doors on Friday to the public after a successful VIP night on Thursday. Drinkers had a great night out at the Bath Road site, formerly Kukui, dancing on the tables, locking arms and clinking their steins with an oompah band providing a lively atmosphere. With staff in their traditional dirndls and lederhosen, plus pretzels galore, the hundreds that visited over the weekend were in treat in what promises to be one of the hottest new venues in Cheltenham.
On the menu alongside the bratwurst and pretzels was the Bavarian Belly Buster, an eating challenge consisting of a pizza, two hot dogs, two sides of chips and two extra sides of your own choice. For £20 the meal-deal also came with a stein of beer. Those successfully negotiating the gastronomic challenge could be the proud owner of a T-shirt and a photo of themselves displayed on the Bierkeller ‘Wall of Fame’. However, the challenge was thought to be too much prompting a marketing director for the Fever Group, owners of the Bierkeller, to admit: “Someone needs to win it soon because otherwise we’ll have to start giving the T-shirts away.”
Typical bottled beer prices at the Bierkeller in May 2016 included £4.50 for a 355ml bottle of Anchor ale from California, £4.95 for a 375ml bottle of Coopers Pale Ale from Australia and £4.95 for a 500ml bottle of Tusker from Kenya. These bottled beers from around the world complimented the 10 draught beers from Germany.
The Cheltenham Bierkeller closed in March 2018. The owners admitted that the venue had not been a successful business model and it had become unprofitable. A spokesman said: “It was with genuine sadness that we announced this week the closure of the Bierkeller in Cheltenham and it was not a decision taken lightly. Whilst the Bierkeller was undoubtedly busy it rarely ran profitably.”
The premises is now Moody’s Place, a restaurant specialising in ‘burgers, cocktails and good times.’ Moody’s opened in June 2018.
