CHRIS THOMSON
RELATED STORY: BEADLE BITES BACK.
A trailblazer of Perth’s small bar scene has slammed some of Perth’s hippest nightspots and damned others with faint praise.
In his liquor licence application for a new venue called The Duyfken at 560 Beaufort Street, Gary Beadle serves up an extraordinary critique of neighbouring pubs and clubs.
Mr Beadle says he once co-owned the chic Luxe Bar down the road, and managed the Niche Bar in Leederville for 14 months.
He now co-owns 399 Bar in William Street Chinatown.
FLYING SCOTSMAN
His application says The Duyfken will be unlike any other bar in Mount Lawley. It will showcase fine microbrewed beers and be “the polar opposite” of the nearby Flying Scotsman hotel.
“A business that has been running a long time in this area, is well populated with students and ‘indie kids’, appealing to them with cheap meals and a ‘grungy’ environment,” is his assessment of that Bohemian establishment.
In response, Flying Scotsman owner Chris Vivian told oneperth.com.au that he catered to a wide clientele and only offered one discount beer and meal deal a week – on Sundays.
“We’re pretty casual here and for him to roll into town with that sort of attitude, I don’t know,” Mr Vivian said.
THE QUEENS
Even lower in Mr Beadle’s esteem is The Queens Tavern which he describes as a “very sad reflection” on Mount Lawley.
“They give poor service, have a very low standard food offering and yet continue to be a success as there is no doubt this is a very attractive old style tavern appealing to mainly a very suburban crowd …,” he laments.
Queens management declined to comment, but Mr Vivian vouched for the pub, saying he was a regular patron.
LUXE BAR
Mr Beadle believes that, like the historic Queens, the much newer Luxe Bar has seen better days.
“A late night nightclub sailing under a special facility license, Luxe in its day was the venue that turned the corner in the standard of hospitality to be expected,” he starts. ”But sadly since Geoff Hayward and partners have moved on it has started to get left a long way behind.”
Mr Beadle’s application claims he was one of those partners until he sold his share of Luxe in 2007.
“Opening late, charging an entry fee, and concentrating on big weekends, this venue is sadly nowadays nothing other than an early closing nightclub,” he concludes.
The Luxe Bar declined to comment.
MUST WINE BAR
Of the rarified Must Wine Bar, Mr Beadle waxes lyrical.
“Great food in a great environment, this venue has run well for a long time as the owner is a leading Australian chef,” is his opinion.
“Appeals to a middle aged crowd as there is a heavier price attached to excellence.”
BRISBANE HOTEL
Scoring mixed marks is the Brisbane Hotel which in 2006 and 2008 was named Australia’s best pub.
“An amazing venue run by an amazing team of hospitality staff but sadly as it is such a big venue in the old style beer barn, the sheer volume of customers that have to be let in for this venue to exist financially does not always lead to a pleasant going out experience,” Mr Beadle writes.
Brisbane Hotel General Manager Mark Patterson said the criticism was “water off a duck’s back”.
“I think he’s trying to make a point about how he’s offering a different service,” Mr Patterson said.
CLARENCE’S BAR & RESTAURANT
Mr Beadle agreed.
“I don’t reckon I’ve been scathing,” he told oneperth.com.au.
“The (licensing) process calls for us to express a point of difference.
“It’s only my opinion.”
And in Mr Beadle’s opinion, Clarence’s Bar & Restaurant is pretty good.
“A nice small bar with a nice internal fit out appealing to the same uber trendy crowd as the owners, opening later and concentrating on a big Friday & Saturday audience … but … appealing to a very specific crowd,” he writes.
BEAUFORT STREET MERCHANT
The boutique Beaufort Street Merchant also scores a Beadle five star.
“A lovely venue appealing to a diverse crowd and really well run,” he enthuses. ”The style of venue that we should all look to for inspiration.”
Anybody wishing to comment on Mr Beadle’s liquor licence application can do so until September 5.
haha. queens – tha suburban kings/inner-city bogans gastropub… :~
Seems like Mr Beale wants to put all of Perth’s hospitality community off side
Let’s be honest here, it’s just an application by another hopeful trying to make his ‘idea’ of the perfect bar sound better by showing the cons of other bars.
Anyone with half a brain will know that bars are personal preferences so your tastes may differ. Without seeing his bar I know I wouldn’t want to go there because it sounds like it would be full of people full of themselves and generally there only to appear ‘cool’ while they pay double the price of a grass roots tav.
The trust fund kid driving daddy’s SUV will probably love it; each to his own
I don’t see what the fuss is about. The guy made some observations in a liquor license application, not ostensibly intended for public debate, and now you guys are saying he’s got some kind of ego problem?
He’s SUPPOSED to differentiate his product in the application to prove that it won’t be just another Flying Scotsman or Luxe or whatever. The author of the article is the source of what looks like ego.
Read the damn article and understand how these things work before you comment.
______________________
Shooting the messenger does not change the fact that Mr Beadle’s extraordinary comments – made in a public forum about some of Perth’s best-loved venues – stepped beyond mere differentiation.
Over the years, the reporter has perused hundreds of liquor licence applications. He has never read one that comes anywhere near the level of criticism of future neighbours that Mr Beadle’s does.
Ed
great story oneperth
i think when u move into a district with a new venue u should work together with other businesses and get to know each other to improve the strip as a whole. i dont agree on this so called “guru’s” comments.
Barry Weasel is dead right. What a load of wank.
I’ve been to five bar. It’s nothing special. They have almost no wines to choose from, and the wines they do have are stupidly overpriced.
Please leave Beaufort street Gary, noone wants you here with this attitude.
He is dead right about every venue.
Anyone who knows bars/pubs in Mount Lawley, knows he is dead right.
I wouldn’t bother with Mount Lawley if I was him – it’s a slightly less stale version of Subiaco these days.
The real action is Northbridge, which is getting better each year, unlike Mount Lawley, which is getting worse.
399 bar offers free cuddles with coffee. It makes my skin crawl every time I go past, even more now that I think it might be this (guy) who gives the free cuddles.
Ripping the locals to shreds before you move in is a great tactic – NOT!
(Edited slightly – ED)
Sounds like some good old fashion media spin by oneperth.com.au to drum up some hits on there website with selective quoting from an application document that should in no way be interpreted as a review of the pubs on Beaufort st. Thing is Gary’s “opinion” on other venues on the strip is fairly accurate to be honest in my OPINION….
Mike
Duyfken (also Duifken or Duijfken) (“little dove” in English, “duifje” in modern Dutch) was a small Dutch ship built in the Netherlands. She was a fast, lightly-armed ship probably intended for shallow water, small valuable cargoes, bringing messages, sending provisions, or privateering.[1] The tonnage of Duyfken has been given as 25-30 lasten (50-60 tons)
Ooohhh, a small bar named after a flawed replica of a Dutch ship from the 1600′s. AND you’re doing limited run beer? Way to innovate Gary, this has never been done before! When you say polar opposite of the Flying Scotsman one immediately assumes the following things:
1. There will never be anyone there.
2. Your staff will be inexperienced and impolite.
3. It will be a guaranteed flop with no staying power.
Go ahead and alienate the ‘indie kids’, the trendy crowd and the ‘general population of Mt. Lawley’ and you may very well achieve the aesthetic you’re looking for. A beautifully decorated house of wank, full of beers that no-one cares about and a clientele that doesn’t exist.
you claim you once owned the luxe bar?
please explain???
i didn’t realise that 1% profit share is owning a bar…
wow! gary, i didn’t realise you’re the only person in perth that provides a service …
I see Mr Beadle has criticised the tone of this story elsewhere. I also note he has not questioned its accuracy.
Being a discerning local and utilizing the area, I always love when new and exciting creative ventures spring up.
I like to support the area and be positive about what is good and build on that.
It sounds like Mr. Beadle’s ego is dampening the mood of progress and what people are doing for the area as a collective.
Creating a community that is successful and cultural is not a one-person movement and I feel he fails to recognise and appreciate this.