Melbourne cocktail bar and club hybrid Pawn & Co has made its mark in Brisbane with the opening of its first interstate location.
Occupying the former Laruche Bar and Supper Club in Fortitude Valley, the 500sqm establishment has been given a $4m makeover, combining the unique elements of a late-night cocktail bar, a pawnshop and a perfumery.
Co-Founders Josh Lefers and Stephen Wools, who recently launched the immersive Ballers Clubhouse in Adelaide, hope to create a first-of-its-kind, immersive hospitality offering for the Sunshine State, opening the only bar in Brisbane where everything from the drinks to the furniture is for sale.
Taking inspiration from a pawn shop, the venue is decorated with vintage décor and eclectic antiques, also housing an art-deco inspired piano bar and unique experiences such as the in-house perfumery, a space for creating signature scents.
“By integrating a perfumery into our cocktail experience, we’re bringing the worlds of retail and hospitality together in a way that’s never been done before,” says Lefers. “It’s about creating a space where every visit is an adventure, and every drink, curiosity and perfume tells a story.”
Artfully designed to evoke all five senses, the venue will also offer a menu of theatrical cocktails and food dishes.
According to collaborators Steve Thomas and Alex Docherty, who have worked across experiential venues like Storyville and 29th Apartment, Brisbane is set to be Australia’s next frontier of hospitality and entertainment.
“Those who are familiar with the venues predecessors, Laruche and Beehive, will be pleased to know that we have kept key elements of the prior iconic venues, such as the recognisable vaulted beehive ceiling and the iconic back bar design to pay homage to good nights passed,” says Thomas.
After the recent closure of several hospitality businesses in Fortitude Valley such as 32-year-old live-music venue Zoo and burger joint Ze Pickle, the team behind the new venue hopes to drive foot traffic and revitalise the district. Over a 10-year period, the group also hopes to employ more than 300 staff.
“We had been looking in Fortitude Valley because we all felt like it was new best late-night precinct,” says Docherty. “You can feel the energy post pandemic growing to new strengths, and with the Olympics driving further growth, it looks to be the preeminent spot in Australia.”
Arthur Apostolos of AMC Developments, and landlord of the establishment, says: “Bakery Lane is excited to welcome Pawn & Co, the latest addition to our vibrant community. We look forward to exploring the fascinating experience they will bring to our historic laneway.”
The completion of the $4m development coincides with a refurbishment of the original Pawn & Co venue in Prahran, with the late-night venue set to transition into a ‘curious’ cocktail bar to reflect its Brisbane counterpart.
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