Zoo Bar closed its doors on Wednesday. Photo: Zoo Bar Facebook.
Zoo Bar, the five-storey venue located in the iconic ANZ Building on the corner of London Circuit and University Avenue, closed its doors on Wednesday (29 March), with the owner telling Region it was becoming “too hard” to run the business after the pandemic.
The decision affects approximately 20 casual and full-time staff, who were informed they would be let go.
The bar opened in 2018 as Balthazaar under the ownership of general manager Rulla Bakri after Uni Pub closed a year earlier. The venue, later rebranded, Zoo Bar, included a bar, pool hall, gaming arcade, cocktail bar and nightclub.
After the pandemic brought unprecedented change across the hospitality sector, Ms Bakri was forced to close the business.
“The business collapsed basically. It just didn’t recover … it was just holding on through COVID,” she said.
“We couldn’t hold it together”.
Like many other businesses in Canberra that have also faced difficulties in recent years, lockdown restrictions impacted Zoo Bar, the shift to working from home and the cost of living crisis.
While Zoo Bar pivoted to add a lunch service and takeaway options during lockdown, Ms Bakri feels that the hospitality market has changed since the pandemic and it is more difficult for businesses to stay afloat even now restrictions have ended.
“I feel like the market’s just changed. It’s been a lot tougher the past 12 months … I think this year we’re moving into even harder times,” she said.
Zoo Bar’s rooftop venue, the Mile High Club. Photo: Supplied.
Zoo Bar comprises four spaces: Zoo Bar, the second-floor Hustler bar, function space No Vacancy on the third floor and rooftop venue Mile High Club.
The venue’s future is still uncertain.
“We have a couple of events that were booked that we’re going to still try if we can, depending on licensing, to go ahead with,” Ms Bakri said, adding that this was still “all up in the air” and the events may have to be cancelled.
“It’s unknown ground at the moment,” she said.
The news comes days after another shock to the hospitality sector, with the closure of the Pialligo Estate restaurant and function venue on 28 March.
“It’s a difficult time for some businesses. Everyone needs to pull together and support Canberra,” Brian Tunks, whose business Bisonhome had previously traded at the Plot at Pialligo, told Region earlier this week.
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