Fancy Hank's is building a new venue and scaling up rooftop bar Good Heavens

This year is shaping up to be supersized for CBD barbecue restaurant Fancy Hank's, which is expanding its rooftop bar Good Heavens and creating a new venue next door called Springrock.

Styled on a New York tavern, Springrock will have enough space for 200 people to crowd around football games on TV, snack on crab cake sandwiches or down a Long Island Iced Tea.

Co-owner Mike Patrick says Fancy Hank's has evolved into more of a restaurant, with little room for spontaneous visits. His team wanted to create a space that's flexible enough to host two mates killing time before a theatre show or groups of 10 having drinks that turn into dinner.

"I don't think there are any really good pubs in that area of the city with an elevated food and drink offer," he says.

Fancy Hank's offset smoker, known as Puffing Billie, will take a backseat for this menu. Instead, counter meals, such as the Italo-American chicken parm, will join other Americana flourishes, including grown-up chicken nuggets (they come with caviar) and steak tartare seasoned with hot dog accompaniments: American mustard, pickles, tomato sauce and soured onions.

The new venue came about after the team decided to expand Good Heavens to the Exhibition Street boundary, then realised that one level down was a vacant site, previously Grand Trailer Park Taverna.

Since opening in 2016, Good Heavens has grown in popularity, particularly with the corporate crowd. The bigger and better rooftop bar will have capacity for 580 people and a mid-century modern look in shades of terracotta and blue with a design by Ewert Leaf, also responsible for Lune Croissanterie's stores and Figlia in Brunswick East.

Patrick believes it will be the biggest rooftop bar in Melbourne, with a cantilevered roof that provides weather protection without ruining the open-air feeling.

Work has started on Good Heavens, with the new section expected to open in June. Springrock's construction will then begin, and the team hopes to finish by the end of 2023. Fancy Hank's will close briefly during that build.

Springrock will have a separate entrance on Bourke Street, direct access to the rooftop and a variety of seating options, ranging from booths to stools around a large circular bar.

79 Bourke Street, Melbourne, fancyhanks.com