Sweethearts bites back in bold new CBD hospitality venture
Darwin’s newest CBD venue has a familiar name. Read what it’s called and see a sneak-peek ahead of the bar’s opening.
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Sweethearts is back.
The famous Darwin nightspot that rocked the Top End until the early 2000s has been reborn at the Territory’s newest venue.
Named after the giant crocodile captured on the Finniss River in the 1970s, the name Sweethearts became synonymous with the ground floor piano bar at Mindil Beach casino where, in the days before Tinder, young Darwin couples found love.
Owners of the Cinema Collective at the old Duck’s Nuts site on Mitchell Street are reprising the famous name as they put the finishing touches to their newest business venture - and the NT News has been given a sneak-peek inside the upscale refurb that will forever change the city’s nightclub strip.
Sweethearts is the first new venue to come out of the collaboration between local construction identity Lachlan Michell and partner Chloe Moo, alongside hospitality leaders Justin Coleman, who opened Shenanigans in 1996, and Steve Dugan.
It is the first stage of the highly-anticipated redevelopment at the iconic 74 Mitchell Street site, which takes in the old cinema and restaurant complex that were part-and-parcel of Darwin life from 1988.
The finishing touches are now being applied to the first stage of the $20m-plus redevelopment that will see Sweethearts transformed into an industrial-feel bar with earthy features of concrete, timber and brickwork a purpose-built live music area, large alfresco spaces, customised kitchen and a private function room for up to 80 people.
The venue will be open for lunch and dinner, with the entertainment kicking in once the kitchen has closed around 9pm.
Lachlan Michell said Sweethearts was a celebration of the Top End through its concept, features and design.
“We have gone the extra mile to use recycled local timber, reclaimed bricks in conjunction with earthy finishes and textures so that the space feels instantly familiar,” he said. “We have used a 100 per cent local workforce and it’s a great showcase of the capability in this town.”
Sweethearts will be open seven days a week and has a 3am license.
For the first time in Darwin the duelling pianos concept, which has a huge following on the east coast, will come to the Territory with pianists Sammy Wheat and Dizzy J in town to launch the concept locally.
Co-owner Justin Coleman said Sweethearts celebrated “all things Territorian”.
“We know that as a live music venue that celebrates pianos, Sweethearts was the perfect name to resurrect to the centre of Darwin city,” he said. “Of course there’s been many tributes to Sweethearts over the years - both the crocodile and the piano bar - so it’s with pride and respect we have chosen the name.
“In celebrating all things Territorian, it means fun and good times. In honouring our past, we’re also looking forward to bringing a new wave of fun and entertainment for locals and visitors alike, including taking live music to the next level with our duelling pianos.”
A formal opening is expected in the next few weeks when the work is completed on the venue’s cinema site, but Sweethearts will be open from Thursday.
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