Two venues operated by John Hussey have fallen, with receivers taking possession and agreements “extinguished”.
The Gold Coast Bulletin reported one of the glitter strip’s biggest nightclubs – Shooters – closed suddenly, with several dozen now-out-of-work employees said to be in shock over the news.
Property manager of the building, Trevor Park, stated that the lease to Hussey’s company had been “extinguished” and new operators would be opening “hopefully within a month”.
This closure came just days after Hussey’s Romano’s Hotel, in Wagga Wagga, went into administration, according to ASIC (Australian Securities and Investments Commission). It is now being operated by Hayes Advisory, which hopes to sell it as a going concern. Romano’s has been on the market since at least May 2015.
The Bulletin noted Hussey as explaining the closure of Shooters as the result of a struggle to cover operating costs, which were destined to get even tougher under the new Tackling Alcohol-Fuelled Violence Legislation.
But the Wagga-based publican says the fate of Shooters was independent of what has happened with Romano’s.
“The status of the businesses are not related to each other,” Mr Hussey said.
PubTIC was unable to reach Hussey to garner any further clarity, but hopes he is able to achieve a reasonable outcome.
While the identities of the incoming operators to Shooters were not revealed, it is said the venue will open in a similar style, and likely under the same established name.
