Miss Katie's Crab Shack moves to Ding Dong Lounge

Miss Katie's Crab Shack is on the move for a third time – chef Katie Marron served her last crab boil at the Rochester Hotel in Fitzroy on Sunday last week after a conscious uncoupling with owners Stuart Moss and Brigitte and Jon Costelloe​.

Marron's crab shack concept started out as a pop­-up at North Melbourne's Public Bar in 2013 before moving to the newly refurbished Rochester in April last year.

The party isn't over – Marron will soon take over the currently unused dining room at live music venue Ding Dong Lounge.

"The pub location really needed a broad offering," says Marron of the break­up, "The crab shack is what I'm all about ... I'm looking to pare back the menu a little bit and focus on the seafood and the original [southern] recipes."

Regulars at the Rochey won't go hungry. They've put chef Steve Rogers (ex­-Movida) in charge of the kitchen; he and Matt Wilkinson of Pope Joan have taken over the Rochey menu with their take on "hearty, healthy Aussie pub food", and word is it's business as usual.

Miss Katie's Crab Shack should reopen at Ding Dong Lounge, 18 Market Lane, by mid-­August.