Just a room full of sugar: East End nightclub gets a new look

One of Adelaide’s all-time favourite nightclubs Sugar is about to reopen its doors with a brand new look that’s sweet as.

Eugene Armstrong, Driller Jet Armstrong, Jessica Purcell and Mariot Kerr in the new-look sugar-coated Sugar. Picture: Sarah Reed

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It’s Happy Birthday Sweet 18 to Sugar, which is reopening after more than five months and a dramatic makeover.

Closed since March because of COVID-19, the popular East End nightclub - founded in 2002 - is back in business. And it’s tickled pink, literally.

From the terrazzo step at its entrance on Rundle Street to its pool tables, everything in Sugar is now Pink.

Driller Jet Armstrong, who owns Sugar with his wife Mariot Kerr, their son Eugene Armstrong and Ben Modra, said the venue - which previously had a darker colour scheme - had been “sugar coated”.

Driller Jet Armstrong at Sugar when it had a darker colour scheme. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

“We wanted to put the sugar back into Sugar … sugared almonds provided the inspiration,” Driller said.

The new look was the vision of Kerr, a film and television costume designer who worked on Red Dog and Stateless. Eugene’s partner, graphic designer Jessica Purcell also provided input.

Committed to using only local suppliers, Sugar’s glamorous facelift cost $35,000 thanks to "thinking creatively, not expensively”.

Sugar back in 2002, the year it opened.

“But it looks a million dollars,” Driller said. “We’ve never ever had long enough to do something like this. We are open five nights a week and we basically have Monday and Tuesday, when we are closed, to fix or create things. It’s Sugar’s 18th birthday present care of COVID-19.”

Sugar is hosting an invite only relaunch on Sunday, and reopens to the public on Wednesday.

Originally published as Just a room full of sugar: East End nightclub gets a new look