Adelaide's The Crown & Sceptre, popular bar and pokie-free music venue, has announced its closure after racking up debts of $1 million and entering liquidation.
A downturn in trade and high outgoings - including labor, electricity and liquor - have been blamed for the debt.
According to Adelaide Now, the venue had its last day on Monday after 11 years of operation under Andrew McDowell.
Australian Hotels Association general manager Ian Horne told Now that the venue will live on, but under new ownership. "Someone will pick up a cheap hotel but the consequences will be the current staff will simply be terminated," he said.
Horne also told the ABC, "We're seeing the wage component is a major cost component of any business in hospitality." He added, "Rates and taxes are a burden ... with five or six venues in the last three months it's naive to think there's not going to be more over the next three to six months."
Although the venue had pulled back on live music in recent years, it continued to host quality DJs and was renowned for its aesthetic and cocktail menu. It is the latest in a string of venue closures in Adelaide.
