Bank Hotel reopen for business

Newtown’s Bank Hotel reopened this week, some seven weeks after the June 4 electrical fire that razed the building, causing major damage.

Jason Ryan, part-owner and licensee, told Sydney Star Observer that part of the building would officially open for business on Monday July 19, with the rest due to reopen in the next fortnight.

“The damage was very extensive. Our main switchboard in electrical room was damaged when water leaked in there in the torrential downpour during the fire, so all of that had to be rewired. Audio visual systems, cash registers, servers -anything that runs on electricity had to be replaced because of the power surge.”
Ryan said the past seven weeks had been trying, but had provided the Bank Hotel team with time to plan the establishment’s future.

“We’re doing some tweaking. We’ve taken the opportunity during this time to take up the decking out the back and redo it all, and we’re also in the middle of re-evaulating our promotions. We’re hoping to reopen bigger and better — the same hotel, but with a few improvements.”

The first queer-themed event at the King Street establishment will be the return of the Wednesday girls’ night on July 28. Ryan said patrons should also check the Hotel’s website and Facebook page for news of an official reopening party.

“We’ll be throwing a reopening party soon, dependent on when we can put the finishing touches on the hotel. We don’t have the date locked in yet, but there’ll be a few drinks on us on the night.”