Clarence up for sale
The Clarence Hotel’s future as a gay and lesbian venue is unsure, as the hotel goes on the market.
The Clarence Hotel, once the home of Manacle — one of Sydney’s longest-running leather and fetish events — has officially been put on the market.
Both the building and business will go under the auction hammer on May 20, with the new owner picking up rights to two late-night trading bars, 11 poker machines and licence, a bistro, bottle shop, and three-bedroom owner’s residence.
Owners and Manacle operators Stuart Fraser and Andrew Clarke declined to make any comment to Sydney Star Observer, stating that it was “too personal”.
They would not give an indication of possible starting prices.
The sale is the latest in a strong of ownership changes in recent months which has seen the Flinders, Beresford, and Oxford hotels all sold to new owners.
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What a shame for such a promising venue to be ignored by a community that considers itself so vibrant and internationally recognised. I watched the original Caesar’s metreoric rise and equally roller-coaster plummet, and still hoped this version would survive. But there seems to be some resistance to any venue that dares to move outside the ghetto or the box.
I have a lot of admiration for Stuart and Andrew, who tried many different approaches to get the punters in. A lot of great (and admittedly some not-so-great) ideas were attempted that moved away from the rather dull and well-beaten “entertainment” values that have been foisted upon gay clientele for the last 25 years in other venues.
This is the first pub I’ve seen in Sydney where the staff actually treat their patrons with a measure of friendliness. As opposed to the usual look-down-the-nose like you’re something they stepped in that is dished out in most other venues.
One final point: for those who considered it a “Bear leather fetish Bar”, think again: it was rarely supported by any of those groups (and shame on them!) except on special occasion nights.
Without community support, we can kiss our venues goodbye, and we have nobody to blame but ourselves. Perhaps that’s the sad decline our fair city deserves because we haven’t the guts to stand up and fight for what we really want.
Good luck to Andrew and Stuart and their next venture:-)
Patrick
I wonder if gurug is the same person that was banging on through samesame about how bad caesars was – i have to say you are the most negative person i have ever read making a comment on any website…. what have YOU done to help the sydney gay community stay alive and vibrant….
The sydney scene is well… dead and the likes of people like you banging on about how bad YOU thought it was is boring and stuffed.
At least Stuart and Andrew in reviving Manacle tried and i admire them for that.. the passion they have for the leather community is a god send….
when after making the tough decision to close manacle and starts caesars again they tried to make a go of it
there is NOTHING in the inner west of sydney for any gay person in that area to go to… and oxford street is well… zombie town, dangerous and is threatening to self implode into nothing.
Good Luck to Stuart and Andrew for the future and for the staff as well.
Cheers
Paul
I find it all too hard to take sides of either the economy or the fate of bad decisions. But one thing I do know, working in the community and hospitality for over 18 years, is the economy is in a bad way towards hospitality, and I also know people will talk with there limited cash.
For all those who couldnt be damb to support there local pub, go and get a life, for those who did, bless you all and remember its only time that we will have a home.
The community is not all about bears, twinks, leather cladded lovers, or the fact that a bar is closed, its about supporting each other, the community and there idea’s and make something bigger and better.
Oh its so easy to stamp down on a failure, but I dont seem to see many try and climb the hard yards of owning there own venue.
The best thing is Ill still be around in another 15 years working five nights a week, no matter where, why or how.
x
Its got nothing to do with the global economic crisis at all. Gay Bars are not very welcoming and quite pretentious places. Also the staff need ettiquett training. Its nice how badly Gays treat their own.
Stuart Fraser and Andrew Clarke are needing to sell the pub because they did NOT listen to the Gay community. They were/are only ever interested in a bear/leather/fetish community venue. They wanted Manacle to work in Petersham. It didn’t.
They had the opportunity to make the hotel a success but they weren’t interested.
The half-arsed Caesars thing was pathetic. They were told what they needed to do to turn the hotel into a successful, profitable Gay venue and they chose not to do it. They wanted to keep it is a bear/leather/fetish venue. They wanted to have their cake and eat it too.
They had a choice: an underperforming, unprofitable “Manacle” type venue or a very profitable if done correctly “Caesars” type venue. In the end they couldn’t let go of the “Manacle” concept so the pub continued to lose money.
The failure of the Clarence Hotel at Petersham is down to the owners – not the economic crisis, not the Gay community and not the fickled finger of fate.
unfortunately its not a case of whats happening sydney. like many other markets the hospitality industry is suffering from the global economic downturn. considerable attention has been given to hotels of late that have gone bankrupt or are up for sale. this current trend is affecting cafes and restaurants also. the consumer is simply not spending much at this time on entertainment.
every interest rate rise equals less discretionary budget for most.
the other age old factor regarding the sydney scene is patronage. patronage of venues in general is fickle to say the least. critism is abound as many simply flit from one venue to another before giving a chance beyond one visit. without consistent patronage how is any venue supposed to trade sufficient profit to fund evolution that provides what you seek.
the current owners of the clarence hotel have for decades used their personal resources to provide for our community. the clarence hotel is currently the only totally gay owned and operated hotel in nsw. they have done their best in a myriad of changes to cater for what the community said they wanted. of course any undersirable situation is going to be ‘too personal’.
do the public really have the right to know everything about everything ? there is far too much gossip in this city. time would be better spent showing your compassion rather than negativity.
if the sydney gay community want to retain gay focused venues then they are going to have to get out and support them, its that simple.
whats happenin sydney??? manacle kicked ass !!! we are all going to have to move to melbourne !!! nothing left here :-(