The “realities” of Melbourne’s pandemic plight sees another of the city’s pub institutions fade away, as AVC hands back student favourite the Hawthorn Hotel.
Built 1868, the Hotel freehold has been owned by Swinburne University since 2015 and is located on a corner of Burwood Rd surrounded by University buildings.
It’s known locally as The Hawka and offers the traditional student drawcards of cheap themed night, Sunday sessions and ‘Tightarse Tuesdays’, drawing crowds of boisterous adolescents.
Australian Venue Co. acquired the operation as one of the strongest in the portfolio purchase of Michael Thiele’s Open Door Pub Co.
Despite promises the Victorian Premier is looking to make significant announcements on the State’s path out of lockdown, over the weekend the pub announced it would not reopen, given the uncertainty around when its core business could return.
“The realities of the current restrictions are crippling in a venue like the Hawthorn Hotel,” explains AVC CEO Paul Waterson.
“It’s very hard to picture a venue that relies on the atmosphere of a dancefloor and is heavily skewed toward beverage being able to operate in Melbourne in the foreseeable future.”
A spokesperson for Swinburne told the Herald Sun it is “engaging with hospitality providers and potential tenants” and expects interest in taking on the operation to be pretty high.
The question of realistic rent reviews in the face of highly revised conditions has been raised by many – strengthened by a recent determination going against landlord ALE regarding rent increases at 36 pubs leased to ALH.
The Hawka’s closing post on social media has already prompted nearly 7,000 comments, lamenting the situation but largely recalling good times.
“The Hawka customers have shared all their fond memories of the pub this week, it’s such a shame to see her go but sadly we had to make a commercial decision and give the venue back to the landlord,” added Waterson.
