The owner of Darling Harbour’s Home The Venue has signed a lease agreement to take over Darlinghurst’s ARQ Sydney nightclub for an undisclosed sum.
Current ARQ owner Shadd Danesi will maintain ownership of the premises. The agreement begins April 1 (this is not an April Fools’ joke) and it includes the use of ARQ’s trading name by Home’s owner.
“The entire Home The Venue team feel very privileged to have the opportunity to operate another iconic Sydney venue,” Home The Venue owner Susanah Page exclusively told Gay Sydney News.
Sources familiar with the lease sale, who did not wish to be named, said Poof Doof and a Noir co-owner, Dave Auld, were also negotiating separately to potentially acquire the ARQ lease.
The sources didn’t wish to be named due to the sensitive nature of the discussions.
“Over his many years at the helm, Shadd Danesi has created a terrific venue that truly serves the LGBTQIA+ community,” said Page, the new ARQ owner.
“As the new operators, we recognise that history and remain committed to protecting and building upon it.”
Page said she would stay true to the history of the venue and had “no intention of undergoing exhaustive renovations or changing the things that people love about it”.
This included Poof Doof continuing to host its Saturday night party at ARQ.
“This venue has a deep connection to its community,” Page said.
“We know we need to preserve that connection while ensuring we are growing a commercially viable business that can serve that same community for many years to come.”
Outgoing ARQ owner Danesi said he was retiring. “After running the venue as an owner-operator since its inception, I am retiring and passing [on] the baton…
“I extend my huge thanks and gratitude to the community that have given me so much life over ARQ’s trading time.
“It has been an absolute privilege and I’m excited to see what comes of the venue in new hands.”
Home The Venue spokesperson Sophie Kollmorgen said that while the terms of the lease were confidential, “we do want to make clear that we are wholeheartedly committed to building on all that ARQ has accomplished so far”.
Kollmorgen said the company behind Home was “thrilled to be working with the Poof Doof team”.
“They've got some amazing acts coming up, my inner teenager is absolutely loving that Mel C is performing (heads up, it's nearly sold out!) and we believe in what they do for the wider community both in Sydney and Melbourne.”
ARQ would not be shutting down or re-launching while the lease trades hands, Kollmorgen confirmed.
“The venue's bones are solid and its four walls contain a lot of history and memories for the hundreds of thousands of people who have visited it over the years.”
ARQ’s suit-and-tie doorman James Mavety will remain at ARQ and will take over as licensee from Danesi.
“We are so pleased that James is joining our team and will continue on at ARQ,” said Kollmorgen.
Poof Doof owner Anthony Hocking would not comment on whether Poof Doof had made an offer for the ARQ lease.
Instead, he said: “On a surface level nothing will change at ARQ on Saturday nights – it will be business as usual for POOF DOOF, especially as we move into our headline shows in April and May and gear up for Pride Month in June.
“It is still early days but we have met with the team from Home and we are very excited to be working with them.
“Through the Sydney nightlife scene, we have known them for a number of years and we cannot wait to see what fruits this new partnership may bring!”
Gay Sydney News reached out to Noir co-owner Ronny Dubé to ask if Noir associates had made an offer for ARQ’s lease but did not receive a response by deadline.
Ben Grubb is the founder and editor of Gay Sydney News, an independent publication covering LGBTQIA+ news. A journalist with more than 15 years' experience, he has reported and edited for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, WAToday, Brisbane Times, The Australian Financial Review, News.com.au, ZDNet, TelecomTimes and iTnews, primarily on the topic of technology. He previously hosted The Informer, a queer current affairs program on Melbourne’s JOY 94.9 radio station, and contributes to LGBTQIA+ media including Stun Magazine. Ben has also appeared as a technology commentator on Channel Ten's The Project, ABC RN’s Download This Show and commercial radio stations 2UE, 2GB and 6PR. Contact Ben: [email protected]
