Three shuttered Hobart waterfront venues reopened tonight for what could be their final weekend of trade, but the turnout has told its own story.
Cargo Bar, Jack Greene and Post Street Social opened their doors from 5pm after administrators organised a last-chance weekend following the collapse of the Pub Banc Group on Monday.
Despite significant public interest when the reopening was announced, the three venues sat mostly empty on Friday night while neighbouring bars such as Grape and The Den were packed.
The Pub Banc Group entered voluntary administration on Monday, forcing seven venues to close immediately and leaving more than 80 staff without work.
Director Ian Vaughan blamed rising food, beverage, utility and insurance costs along with a shift in spending habits.
Apex Advisory managing director Tim Booker said this weekend was a chance for the community to rally behind the venues.
“These venues have hosted first dates, birthdays, farewells, footy wins and Friday knock-offs cage nights for a generation of Hobartians,” Booker said.
“Opening this weekend directly supports the people who work in these venues and strengthens the case for a sale that keeps the doors open and the team together.”
Steve Old, chief executive of Hospitality Tasmania, had earlier in the week spectacularly called out politicians for “quite keenly going around shitcanning industries, trying to get rid of jobs in Tasmania”.
He specifically singled out Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds and said politicians at all levels needed to stand up for Tasmanian business.
Reynolds described some business voices speaking about the Pub Banc Group collapse as “front groups for council candidates” who were “so obsessed with things like bike lanes that they’re missing the bigger picture”.
The lord mayor suggested Pub Banc Group had “overextended themselves by buying a lot of very large venues”, saying they “possibly weren’t keeping in touch with contemporary trends”.
Greens MLC Cassy O’Connor was also blunt in her response on Monday, calling Old “a mouthpiece for the gambling industry” and suggesting he “should get back in his box”.
Speaking tonight as the three venues reopened, Old said the industry had been in shock since the collapse.
“I think everyone’s main concerns [are] about the staff and the owners,” Old told Pulse.
He said venues from Bicheno to Launceston had offered to take on displaced staff and absorb cancelled events.
Old said mainland investors had already called him expressing confidence in Hobart’s trajectory, particularly with the new stadium on the horizon.
He praised the state government, shadow Hospitality Minister Luke Edmunds and Hobart alderman Marti Zucco for their responses, but was pointed about those he said had stayed silent.
“I called out a lot of people on Monday and I guess the ones who have gone silent are the ones I thought would go silent as they normally do,” Old said
“A couple of them wanna shoot their mouth off and tell me to come out from under a rock, but I haven’t seen them come out from under theirs and offer any support to the hospitality industry,” Old said.
Old said the collapse showed councils needed members with genuine business understanding.
“I think this is a wake-up call to all of them,” he said.
Acting premier Bridget Archer has written to the federal government proposing a live music rebate scheme that would pay venues back half of what they spend on live performers.
“This initiative would support the hospitality industry and back Tasmania’s live music scene,” Archer said.
An urgent sale process is underway, with numerous expressions of interest already received.
The three venues are set to trade again on Saturday night.
“If you’ve ever meant to get down to Cargo, Jack Greene or Post Street Social, this weekend might be your last chance,” Booker said.
