After dealing with the shock and disappointment of being told the building that houses Frankie’s was being demolished, the team at Swillhouse Group decided it was only fitting to give the bar the fabulous send-off it deserves.
Swillhouse said they found out the news that Frankie’s was going to make way for a new Sydney Metro station, with a letter slipped under the door. The first few days after reading that letter felt like a dream, but the group said they fast-tracked through the grief stages to get to the good stuff, because “no-one wants a sad Frankie’s”.
In statement, Swillhouse said: “We are taking this opportunity to raise the stakes yet again and really give the people what they want, while we can.
“There’s been a lot to digest in a short amount of time so we’re doing our very best with that, and helping our staff through the process also. The long-term fate for Frankie’s as we know it is out of our control, but our legacy as one of the world’s great Rock bars is set in stone.
“The people are on our side, and we are taking this opportunity to give them our very best while we still can. Every resource and all of our energy will be poured into the ‘final campaign’, our last great statement, there are still memories to be made, the biggest year in our history starts now.
“Frankie’s Pizza will not just continue to have the most comprehensive live music program in Sydney, we are taking it to a new level. We are adding more bands and more bills and quite literally programming fully fleshed out events for every single day of the year, right up til’ the fat lady sings. Expect consistent announcements with tonnes of events planned, collaborations, launches, and huge acts to host.
“Truly, thanks to everyone for the support. Stay tuned to our socials and newsletters for further announcements of upcoming events.”
Transport Minister Andrew Constance promised the venue would be looked after and relocated.
“Frankie’s is an important part of Sydney’s live music scene and we will make sure it is properly supported during this challenging time,” Constance said.
“Sydney Metro is assigning Frankie’s a dedicated acquisition manager to guide them through this process and to help find another location.”
The Hunter Street station sees 11 commercial buildings in the CBD affected, including 50-58 Hunter Street, home to Frankie’s and the Hunter Connection building, and Constance added: “The Hunter Connection is part of that acquisition program but we will work with those businesses, compensate those businesses, we’ll help relocate those businesses.
“Due to COVID there’s quite a significant vacancy rate across the city, we have seen an increase in the vacancy rate of about eight per cent, so there will be that opportunity for businesses to re-establish themselves.”
Frankie’s final hurrah kicked off this week with pizza slices now just $1 from 4-6pm every day, so get down there and don’t miss the chance to say farewell to this awesome venue.
