Outdoor operating hours of beloved Sydney pub The Old Fitz were reportedly slashed by the council without any prior correspondence, according to Odd Culture CEO James Thorpe.
The council decision was made on June 27, after council officers noted outdoor tables extended beyond approved plans, and two kegs were noted on the footpath during a visit. A public submission to the council also complained about patrons blocking the footpath.
“We only learnt of the existence of this complaint on Friday [August 16], and the venue has received no compliance correspondence from the council in over three years,” Thorpe wrote on The Old Fitzroy Hotel’s Instagram account today.
“We are saddened that council have chosen not to work with us, or indeed even offer us procedural fairness, instead choosing to silently wind back our hours.”
The post said that council staffers had indicated that the decision was made in error.
“Our only recourse is to put in an application and wait. Our last renewal took just over five weeks from submission to approval,” Thorpe added.
The Old Fitz is a pub, bistro and theatre that has stood on the corner of Dowling and Cathedral streets in the heart of Sydney’s Woolloomooloo for over 150 years.
According to Thorpe, The Old Fitz has had approval to operate on the street until 10pm for almost two decades.
The determination comes with serious ramifications for the pub. Outdoor dinner service won’t be possible while the decision stands, reducing the pub’s seating significantly. The outdoor furniture is stored in the pub’s pool room, meaning the room will now also need to close at 8pm.
After an outpouring of community support, Thorpe began a petition for patrons to “save The Old Fitz’s outdoor seating”.
“If you’ve ever enjoyed a sunset steak au poivre outside our pub (as I have many times), or even some oysters and a cheeky evening schooner, I’d encourage you to sign the petition,” Thorpe wrote.
Image: Odd Culture / Maria Boyadgis
Laura Box
