DRUG USE RISING: OPERATORS BEWARE

A recent study by the Daily Telegraph found drug residue in a high rate of Sydney pubs. Using the Wipetect Drug Screen Device to swab surfaces in the toilets, the study found traces of illicit substances in 20 out of

IMPERIAL HOTEL DEAD AS FLAWED LOCKOUT LOGIC LOOMS

Erskineville’s Imperial Hotel has closed indefinitely as the spectre of ‘lockouts’ logic seeps into suburban scapegoats. It took just three months for new operators Spice Group to lose control of an institutional venue as it became a hot-spot for Sydney’s

VICTORIAN POKIES CENSURED AS MINISTER GUILTY BY ASSOCIATION

Recent figures on gaming in Victoria have sparked a chorus of anti-pokies rhetoric unseen since the heady days of Wilkie’s crusade for mandatory pre-commitment. The Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation details the licence type and gaming revenue of

LION CUSTOMER PORTAL FOR THE INFORMATION AGE

Drinks giant Lion is ready to do business 24/7 with a new online information and ordering portal for its trade customers. Originally launched in 2012, the new-look version now includes product and events data and sales practise, and active customer

BAIRD SUPPOSEDLY BULLIED BY BOOZE INDUSTRY

[caption id="attachment_3173" align="alignright" width="329"] Mike Baird[/caption] The newly-elected Baird Government has been accused of dropping proposed further trade restrictions and licensing requirements after lobbying by industry. The draft guidelines would have seen operators required to exclude anyone seen drinking on

ALH’S BURVALE HOTEL DODGES PROTECTION ORDER

A hotel built in 1968 is finally free to be redeveloped after a bizarre battle to protect it under a heritage order. Languishing on an enormous 45,000 square metre block on the outskirts of Melbourne, the hotel was designed by

CHRIS CHEUNG LAUNCHES OVERHAULED HARBOURSIDE BAR

One of Australia’s hottest international venues has reopened after a year-long make-over. Famous A-lister haunt and headquarters of Australian Fashion Week, Cruise Bar, in the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay, has opened its doors again this week following a

ALCHEMY PUB TO MAKE MIRACULOUS RETURN

Wandsworth Council has ordered a developer to (re)turn an eponymous pile of rubble into gold. Council for UK’s Battersea conservation area has “roundly rejected” a retrospective building proposal by the developer that bulldozed St Johns’ Hill’s The Alchemist pub last

XXXX BREWERY BAR AND “EXPERIENCE” RESUMES

Sunshine State staple XXXX has continued its brand push, re-opening its self-titled brewery bar after an extensive three-month renovation. [caption id="attachment_3106" align="alignright" width="371"] XXXX brewer, Anthony Clem[/caption] Touted as the freshest place on earth to enjoy XXXX beers, brewed on-site,

OVERHAULED BELLEVUE LOOKING MORE BEAUTIFUL

One of the best-loved pubs in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs has re-opened following an unexpectedly comprehensive overhaul. Seven months ago the new owners of Paddington’s Bellevue Hotel, WDS Group, fronted by industry veteran Steven Speed, began a timely make-over of the