Inside Aussie pub where you pour your own beer

Sydney is now home to the country’s first self-service bar, where there are no bartenders. But it doesn’t mean you can just get sloshed.

Inside the Aussie bar where you pour your own beer. Picture: TikTok

The country’s first self-service bar has opened in Sydney, inviting pub-goers to pour their own beers while out with mates.

Dubbed “the bar that feels like a house party”, Buddy’s Self-Service Boozery in the city’s inner west has opened to huge fanfare as locals pour in for the self-service experience.

The concept is simple. Upon arriving at the Newtown joint, patrons are greeted by a host and handed a venue card, which they then load up with however much they’d like to spend.

From there, they head to the beverage wall to choose from more than 30 taps — with 12 more on the way — that currently offer 16 beers, six cocktails, five wines and a few non-alcoholic options. Tap the venue card to activate, and pour.

Long-time mates Duncan McGeogh and Jimmy Roe teamed up to launch the venture, calling on their combined decade of hospitality experience.

When news.com.au visited, the pair was elbow-deep in a renovation to the venue’s upstairs level, which will from next week transform into a private event space complete with its own self-service taps.

“I’ve been working, partying and drinking in this part of the city for years, and I just love it,” Mr Roe told news.com.au.

“I love that it’s not seasonal in the way some parts of Sydney are. If it’s cold, you throw on a jacket and you still head out.”

Buddy’s is the first fully self-service bar in Australia. Its sleek fit-out with communal tables, a small dancefloor and, of course, the wall of self-service taps has it nicknamed the bar that feels like a house party.

So, how is not an RSA nightmare?

After a patron has three standard drinks, their venue card is automatically paused and they’re asked to check in with a staff member before pouring another.

Duncan McGeogh and Jimmy Roe’s bar is just the latest in a list of self-service Aussie small businesses. Picture: Instagram

“It’s just an opportunity for our staff to check in with people, make sure there’s not someone sitting in the back corner punching back a whole bunch of schooners and going unnoticed,” Mr McGeogh explained.

“In a way, it’s more transparent than a traditional bartender because it’s less impacted by staff rosters. We don’t get that situation of someone who’s come in at 10am, drank all day, and the night staff have no idea how many he’s had.”

The staff, freed from bartending duties, play a more conversational role as they guide patrons through the experience and chat about beer.

Their rosé is smooth enough to change anyone’s perception of tap wine, while an upstairs cool room houses dozens of kegs to keep the drinks flowing. Aside from a few classics, every empty keg is replaced with something new, so the menu is on constant rotation.

Wine is also available on tap. Picture: Supplied.

When it comes to food, the pair teamed up with fellow small business Rub-a-Dub Seasoning so the two enterprises can operate under one roof.

Peckish patrons can choose from a menu ranging from beef nachos to Italian-style pizza to a hefty one-metre-long bruschetta.

Better yet, the self-service taps make it easy to pour a glass, even for rookies. The flow rate is slowed by about 50 per cent, making for a gentler and less foamy pour.

“You pay for what you pour, so it’s low risk,” Mr McGeogh said.

“You can try a new cocktail, a chilled red if you’ve never had one, a splash of a sour. You can try 10 drinks in one night without having any more than you’re comfortable with.”

Their signature self-service wall holds more than 30 taps. Picture: Supplied.

The bar is just the latest of a growing list of Aussie self-service venues as small businesses grapple with staff shortages or simply want to stand out.

Earlier this year, sustainable farmer Jacob Wolki opened the country’s first self-service butcher, which stays open 24/7 without any staff.

The Albury-based storefront is open 24-hours a day, 365 days a year without anyone to man it – and yet has never had an issue with theft or shrinkage.

“Customers get their unique pin code once they sign up to be a member. Once they enter their code, they gain access to the storefront,” Mr Wolki previously explained to news.com.au

“This is open 24/7, 365 days, and all of this meat we grow on our regenerative farm 10 kilometres up the road.”

Theft, he said, is avoided by inducting customers into the values of the farm — as well as a hefty security system.

Originally published as Inside Aussie pub where you pour your own beer