Moon Dog Wild West’s anticipated Footscray opening has been delayed after the brewery was knocked back for an occupancy permit.

The 800-person, 1000-square-metre mega venue was due to open on Wednesday night with a launch party for media and VIPs, but the event was cancelled 10 minutes before it was due to begin.

The project has been beset by council issues since its inception, with the council rejecting and then finally approving the brewery’s plan to take over the iconic Franco Cozzo building.

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Co-owner Karl van Buuren appeared on 3AW Breakfast on Thursday morning to apologise for the headache, which was the result of issues surrounding the placement of the venue’s fire hydrant. “We had a very, very rough night,” van Buuren says. “I had to stand at the door and tell people that the rug was pulled from us right at the last minute.”

The new Wild West bar features a mechanical bull, horseshoe booths, a 10-seat private dining room and a “kids' ranch” with a playground and old-school arcade games. It follows Moon Dog OG and Moon Dog World, a 725-capacity Preston HQ that has an indoor lagoon and a tiki bar.

The team is currently working to confirm a new opening date as soon as possible.

Additional reporting by Audrey Payne.

Update April 19: an earlier version of this story reported that Maribyrnong City Council was involved with the delayed opening date – an idea the council disputes. The article has been updated to reflect this.