Gang Gang’s newest sister restaurant, Thirsty Tiger, is under construction on Hindley Street and set to open by the end of this month.

For keen fans of the Gang Gang collective, Thirsty Tiger will be your new weekend haunt, with its doors set to open at the end of this month.

The bar will be the sun-lit upstairs sister to 99 Gang Social, offering bright and fresh lunch options before transforming into a club in the evening, following in its sister restaurant’s footsteps.

For co-owners Nina and Morgen Wynn-Hadinata, it was the right move to take over the upstairs space when the rental came up.

“With the world going back to normal, things are getting busier and busier,” Morgen says.

“We’ve got very limited seating; on the weekends we have an overflow, so when that came up for rent it seemed like the right move,” explains Nina.

The upstairs space will offer capacity for a further 100 people, alongside the downstairs capacity of 100, and will offer greater opportunities for private functions.

“We are also consistently getting emails about functions, but it takes up nearly the whole venue once you have a table of 40,” Nina says.

Morgen says the upstairs space, which is drenched in sunlight and is set to be bordered by rich navy and coastal mustard colours, will suit boozy luncheons, hens days and “just really lovely lunch events”, she says.

“Especially during the day, Hindley Street is quite quiet,” she explains, pitching the new location as a sun-lit escape.

The Gang crew downstairs at 99

While Thirsty Tiger offers sunny lunch options, it still won’t stray far from its downstairs sister, presenting boozy beverages and a club vibe into the night.

General manager Elisha Guglielmucci says those keen on a beverage can expect “a few hidden gems, a few secret menu items that we’ve used here and there that will make their way upstairs”.

As the warmer months approach, she says the venue’s focus will be on “super vibrant tropical flavours”.

Beyond this, you can also expect matcha cocktails and a sake offering, which Elisha says will offer guests variety and invite sharing.

“It’s a nice sharing element as well, to bring to a table with food and a bit of sake,” she says.

According to Nina and Joolz, a new member of the Gang, this communal experience will be showcased in the menu, too. There will be share plates, including slider versions of quintessential Gang Gang burgers patrons know and love.

“I always enjoy sliders a little bit better, [if] you want to enjoy all the burgers, three or four, instead of just one,” Nina says.

Share plates have become a staple of Gang Gang’s monthly wine dinners, Nighty9 Wine Club, showcasing the team’s favourite winemakers alongside a set menu, in collaboration with local wine producers.

Thirsty Tiger is slated to open by the end of the month. When CityMag asks the crew what the next few weeks looks like, there’s a round of nervous laughter.

“It’ll be very hands-on-deck, sleepless nights for the next couple of weeks, but we’ll get it done,” Morgen says confidently.

“I think we all work better under pressure.

“We’re from hospo, I think it’s a given.”

Thirsty Tiger will open above 99 GangSocial on Hindley Street. Stay tuned for opening night details via Instagram.