East vs. West: Where are Adelaide’s most popular party spots in 2024?
As the hospitality industry grapples with shock closures amid the cost of living crisis, local bar owners weigh in on what’s happened to Adelaide’s party scene.
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It’s a choice every Adelaide reveller is faced with at a certain point of the weekend: Shall we continue our night on the east or west end of the city?
There’s merely a 15-minute-or-so amble between them, but the divide between the two party corners comprising Rundle St, Grenfell St and Vardon Ave on the east, and the Hindley-Peel-Leigh St pocket of the west, runs deep.
Michael Keogh of the Gonzo Group – which operates West End hot spots Shotgun Willie’s, Memphis Slim’s and Cry Baby, adding East End institution Sugar to its repertoire last year – calls the bizarre Adelaide phenomenon “traversing the cultural chasm”.
“I visit interstate quite a bit to see friends and colleagues in the industry, and you would quite happily jump in an Uber to go between suburbs in Sydney and Melbourne, but a five-minute walk up around the mall is a little bit too much here,” Mr Keogh told the Sunday Mail.
“I’ve always found it really weird, but it’s just ingrained in our culture,” he laughed, adding that despite split, the Adelaide-wide hospitality industry remained tight-knit regardless of which end they claimed.
Having picked up nightclub Sugar last November with business partners Jon Di Pinto and Sean Howard, with Adelaide clubbing icon Driller Jet Armstrong returning in an artistic capacity, Mr Keogh said traditionally people started their nights with dinner and wine on the east and moved west, but that trend may be changing.
As budgets tighten amid the cost-of-living crisis, locals are more discerning than ever about where they spend their money on the weekend.
In the West End, a sprinkling of bars and clubs have been forced to close in recent months for myriad reasons.
The pandemic took its toll on nightclubs and bars, and even though heavy restrictions on standing and drinking, dancing and crowd numbers have been lifted, some clubs felt the pinch years after the pandemic loosened its tight grip.
Over summer ’23/24, we said goodbye to some iconic venues: Super California became Juice Box. Dog and Duck announced they were closing, but then announced they weren’t gone for good, they were just rebranding with Black Bull.
We lost Super Bueno on the southern side, and we saw the last hoorah at everyone’s former favourite club Fat Controller. In November last year, Hindley St live music institution Enigma Bar suddenly shut down after more than two decades.
But not to fret, there are still plenty of wonderful places to go when you need a beer after work or a cocktail on the weekend.
So where are the party set heading? Or are we favouring nights in altogether over painting the town red?
Here’s what bar owners had to say:
Sugar
274 Rundle St
Opening hours – Sunday & Thursday 9pm-4am, Friday & Saturday 9pm-5am
“We’ve had a really good response since Sugar reopened, with a lot of the older heads and hospitality crowd coming back,” Mr Keogh said.
“There’s always a bit of a novelty factor when you’re reopening, but December was strong.
“We’ve had really positive comments from our colleagues in the East End about there being a destination in the East End for late night trade.
“So rather than people having to make the choice or who can’t be bothered walking down for something to do late night, they have the opportunity to stay down that end without having to traverse this cultural chasm.”
BRKLYN
260-262 Rundle St
Opening hours – Sunday – Thursday 5pm – 12am, Friday & Saturday 5pm – 2am
Co-founder of Rundle Street’s BRKLYN Rashaad Chenia said winter 2023 had been “rough” on the East End.
However, he said things had significantly improved in recent months, seeing an “awesome” December and January.
“(Winter 2023) was when all the price hikes came in and rates went up. We noticed last year’s Fringe was really good as normal, but then we noticed a bit of a drop off come May, June, and that kind of lasted throughout winter,” he explained.
“Most businesses in both the west and the east all shared the same sentiment.”
Weighing in on the longrunning East vs. West debate, Mr Chenia said while West End owners and operators missed out on Fringe Festival foot traffic given the distance from the Garden, they were far better off in winter.
“We all know being in the East End you’ve got the Fringe to rely on to a degree, which is good, but you want to be able to sustain a business outside of something like that and not just have to run on whatever you’ve made during the Fringe.
“Footy season normally helps the West up heaps because people go to the game and then just cross the bridge and flood the West End. So they still have that to drive some trade through, but the east is a bit stale at that time of year.”
He said anecdotally, he’d heard West End bar owners were eyeing off the east to both avoid the Hindley St club strip run off and cash in on the Fringe.
“From what I hear, a lot of (the owners) are getting sick of the Hindley St vibe and they see value in the East End … We have a different energy … There’s all the great restaurants, it doesn’t always have the club buzz with some vacant spaces along the strip, but that is appealing for a different reason and it’s starting to change as it gets busier with Sugar reopening.”
Mr Chenia, who opened BRKLYN in 2016, said he was interested to see how the year progressed.
“Around December, January and summer in general, people are like, ‘Look, we haven’t got much money, but this is the time to be out’. It’s kind of an Adelaide trend.
“People seem to really like coming out during summer and then just becoming hermits in winter, unlike other cities like Melbourne where people go out all the time.”
Mr Goodbar
12 Union St
Opening hours – Sunday, Wednesday & Thursday 5pm 12am, Friday 5pm – 2am, Saturday 3pm – 2am
Mr Goodbar owner Jasmin Patel is feeling the pinch of the cost of living crisis, telling The Advertiser business has been flat for months, saved only by small numbers of interstate visitors in December.
“People’s spending is down and everyone is complaining that they do not have money due to cost of living increase. Everyone is looking for a bargain and cheap options,” Mr Patel said.
“Normally after July, August it starts picking up and by October you start getting Christmas vibes in people, they are spending, shopping and having fun.
“This year, we were expecting the same … But we have hardly noticed any increase in customers.”
While he said reasons for the drop in numbers were hard to pinpoint, his own rent and energy bill increases — as well as the alcohol tax, which increased by 2.2 per cent last year to $100.05 per litre — were making it difficult.
He was hopeful things would pick up by Fringe time, but lamented additional costs to his businesses to keep up with surrounding competitors on Rundle St and Vardon Ave as the influx of crowds came in.
“There are cost associated with having to participate in Fringe like for extra liquor license, chairs and tables … everything will cost around $4000 for us.
“Fringe does help more on main street businesses like Rundle St, Vardon Ave, but side streets get busy only some weeks.”
He said the pressures were being felt across the board in the hospitality industry both in the CBD and suburbs, with listings for local businesses regularly popping up online.
“We get lot of leads on people wanting to sell their business at very cheap prices due to not able to survive.
“Biggest factors are increasing wages, energy prices, raw material cost and rent. I will not be surprised if you hear similar news in coming months.”
He suggested the answer to ease the impact on local businesses was “reasonable” council rates and government changes, as well as stronger regulation for commercial lease costs.
Roxies/Crown & Anchor
188 & 196 Grenfell St
Opening hours – Roxies: Monday – Thursday 7.30am – 12am, Friday 7.30am – 1am, Saturday 12pm – 1am, Sunday 12pm – 12am
Crown & Anchor: Monday – Saturday 12pm – 3am, Sunday 2pm – 3am
Midnight Spaghetti: Wednesday – Saturday 5pm – late
Chateau Apollo: 7 days by appointment
General manager Tim Read said his cluster of Grenfell St venues were performing well across the board.
“The demand is there,” he said.
“We’re out of Covid where everything got reset, so people are back here spending the money they saved during lockdown.
“2021 was just getting everything back up and running, but from 2022 to 2023, things have been trending up and 2023 was actually one of our stronger years,” he explained, adding: “We have a diverse offering across the site which can somewhat protect us from downturn in trade.”
The Stag
299 Rundle St
Opening hours – Tuesday – Thursday 12pm – 11pm, Friday & Saturday 12pm – 1am
Co-owner/operator of The Stag, The Big Easy Group’s Jamie Huffam said while Adelaide hospitality has felt the ripple effect of inflation, his venue is similarly thriving.
“Cost of living pressures is hitting hospitality across the board pretty hard,” he said.
“Most venue managers I’ve spoken to experienced a dip on previous years’ trades, felt in the latter half of 2023.”
He claimed while locals seemed to be going out less at certain points of the year, the return of interstate and international visitors had provided a much needed injection
“Cafes and pubs have taken a bump, but restaurants hit the most.
“Thankfully, (at The Stag) we’ve had a great summer despite the trend. We had a strong December due to our capacity to host functions and January has actually been solid with the late arrival of good weather.”
Shotgun Willie’s/Memphis Slim’s/Cry Baby
22 Gilbert Place
Opening hours – Shotgun Willie’s: seven days a week, 4pm – late
Memphis Slim’s: Sunday, Tuesday – Thursday 7pm – 2am, Friday & Saturday 5pm – 2am
Cry Baby: seven days a week, 4pm – 2am
“The line-up at Cry Baby and Shotgun Willie’s are both pretty notorious,” Michael Keogh said when asked whether business had been impacted by the cost of living crisis.
“We have noticed a recent trend of people probably having maybe one or two cocktails, and then shifting more towards cheaper spirits and beers for the rest of the night. So, trade hasn’t necessarily decreased, but what people have been consuming in venues has changed.”
On the explosion in popularity of the Gonzo Group’s offerings, he said: “Our venues don’t take themselves too seriously, but in terms of Memphis Slim’s, there was no real live blues music venue, so we filled a gap in the market.
“I’ll be honest, Shotgun wasn’t intended to be as much of a party as it turned out to be, but it’s what people want. Modern country music has been massive lately.
“The night Luke Combs played, for example, it was a Wednesday and we had pretty much a Friday or Saturday night’s trade. I think it was the most successful weeknight we’ve ever had with people coming in before, after and during,” he said.
While business is booming for the Gonzo Group, Mr Keogh said recent increases in Customer Price Index could be among the reasons surrounding West End haunts have closed, with locals not willing to pay upwards of $10 per drink.
“About two years ago CPI started to increase,” he said.
“It was 5.1 per cent at once … That was an unprecedented increase, then six months later, the next one came and it was 5.1 per cent again, so that’s 10.2 per cent in total.
“The price for a base spirit when I was 18 was about $8. Now, depending on which venue you go to, it can range from anywhere between $10 and $12.
“That’s not because businesses have just decided to do that. They’ve had to because they’re passing on the cost.”
Alfred’s Bar
14 Peel St
Opening hours - 3pm-12am Sun-Thurs/3pm-2am Fri-Sat
One of the most popular spots on one of the most popular streets, the management team at Alfred’s Bar on Peel St say that while business is picking up over summer, some nights are still challenging post pandemic.
“We still remain/are heading into an uncertain time with cost of living having an impact on people’s disposable income, which is affecting trade,” venue owner Scott Quick said.
“Events, conferences, interstate and international guests provide an extra level of surety while the impact of less people working in the CBD is felt with weekday trade.
“The industry is finding it challenging because Covid has taught people to socialise in a different way.”
Assistant manager Ethan Munang agreed, but said both Peel St and it’s parallel Leigh St have cemented themselves as two destinations where people can get a “unique” experience in each venue.
“They’re places you know you can get good booze from, complemented with a big focus on customer service,” Mr Munang said.
He said despite challenges arising from the current economic climate, there are still people that are happy to come in and try anything on the menu.
“Our crowd is a big mix, from people who want to celebrate with a bottle of Dom, to people who just want a beer and everything else in between, we aim to provide something for everyone while creasing a relaxed, fun and safe vibe.”
Bank Street Social
48 Hindley St
Opening hours – seven days a week, until 12/1am weeknights and until 3:30am Fri/Sat nights
Co-owner of Bank St Social, Shaun Campbell said the venue has worked its way back to 7-day trade after Covid saw their hours squeezed tighter than ever.
“It’s actually our 10th year in the West End next year, so it’s pretty wild that we’ve been trading for almost a decade,” Mr Campbell said.
“We’ve been pretty lucky. December last year was actually our busiest month ever, so we’re definitely still getting a crowd out on the weekends.
“Obviously Covid was tricky, and post-pandemic I think the working from home phenomenon has had an impact on weeknight trade, but we get a great atmosphere on the weekends on the dance floor, it packs out.”
Mr Campbell said what keeps people coming back to the venue is the transition between cocktail bar and nightclub.
“We’re one of the few places that is a bar and a club,” he said.
“We make that transition to club on the weekends, so we’re really there for people to come down for a cocktail after work or before dinner, and then we’re there for those people who want to jump around on the dance floor later in the night.
“I think we’re pretty unique in that regard.
“The crowd we get has been pretty consistent over the years. We tend to get anywhere from mid 20s to mid 40s, it’s a really wide age range.
“I think that’s also the unique thing about Bank St – we don’t just get a super young crowd or a really old crowd. It’s quite a mix and everyone’s welcome, so we haven’t really been struggling since covid like other places.”
Woolshed on Hindley
94/100 Hindley St
Opening hours – Tues 3pm-12am/Wed to Sat 3pm-2am
Perhaps considered one of the biggest clubs on iconic Hindley St, Woolshed is reportedly not doing as well as it might be leading its patrons to believe.
A Woolshed employee, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Advertiser that New Year’s Eve at the club was “as dead as it’s ever been.”
“Hindley St is dying,” the employee said.
“I worked on New Year’s Eve and it was dead. There’s only a couple of venues that are doing really well – the rest are really struggling.
“Cost of living has hit hard and no one wants to go out anymore. The cost of it is astronomical.”
The employee said similar clubs in the area were feeling the pinch too, as Dog and Duck announced they’d be leaving the iconic Port Admiral Hotel and collaborating with Black Bull into the future.
Issues with violence, cost of drinks, bad management and irresponsible service of alcohol have also been sited as reasons why the once-thriving party strip isn’t glowing like it used to.
Rocket Bar/Electric Circus
17 Crippen Place
Opening hours – Friday, Saturday 10pm-5am
In a clear contrast to its just-up-the-street neighbour, the three in one Crippen Place venue – Rocket Bar sandwiched between its rooftop venue and Electric Circus in the basement – is apparently thriving this summer.
Surrounding venues have noted their seemingly never ending line of young partygoers on Friday and Saturday nights, and with international and local acts like Riton, Odd Mob and 33 Below among the many who have recently played in the building, it doesn’t look like they’re struggling to get people through the door.
While owner Jake Phillips declined to make any further comments about how the venue is going, he did say that, compared to the many venues that have closed in recent months, Crippen Place is “doing well”.
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