Mandurah’s Monkey Bar Closes After 12 Years Of Business

Noted to bring a ‘Melbourne vibe’ to the streets of Mandurah, The Monkey Bar and Lounge, open since 2013, was a grungy yet colourful stomping ground for those looking to have a good night in the south. The fun is over, though, as the venue has shut down.

At the time of publication, it’s unknown why the bar shut its doors. On Instagram, the bio states that the venue is “closed until further notice.” The same message appears on the Monkey Bar website.

Over the years, the bar gained an infamous reputation due to the patrons it attracted. Some nights would end in frequent controversies or rowdy clusters.

Venue owner Carrie Salter told Perth Now that her team worked hard to ‘weed out’ the bad behaviour of patrons, issuing more than 80 bans to badly behaved punters during her time. 

“It did have a bad rep, but the team here pulled together and really weeded them out,” Salter told Perth Now.

“We’ve actually changed, the patrons that come in now are a lot better behaved…They respect the venue. They respect the staff.” 

Salter also highlighted that her team was like her “second family.” 

“It’s going to be a bit hard not seeing them daily, yeah, but if there is a buyer, the team is still available to work, they are ready to go,” she said.

Venue manager Hannah Wright urged the new owner to refurbish the building to enhance the bar’s credibility in the future.

“Change it. Please, change it. Please. I think the reputation is always going to be there with the name. I think that’s what people would like, something new,” she said.

The Monkey Bar’s building was once a Commonwealth Bank. With past names of the venue being The Slug and The Hare, Wright encourages the new owners to keep the animal theme. 

The most notable event, according to the Monkey Bar staff, was the night of Valentine’s Day 2023, when a woman crashed her bright red Ford Mustang into the venue. She was kicked out of the bar prior, after attacking a staff member with a high heel.

The fate of seven staff members’ positions remains unclear after the closure of the bar.