A sign on the door reads ‘closed for the weekend’, but it appears that Fenway Public House is closed permanently. Photo: Region.
Recent Woden visitors noticed that local pub Fenway Public House has a sign on the door reading ‘closed for the weekend’.
But it’s been in place for much longer than a single weekend, prompting some to turn online to seek answers. While various theories abounded – ‘closed for renovations’, ‘landlord issues’ – a search via ASIC published notices confirms that the business went into liquidation on 2 February.
Fenway opened as part of the $21 million Bradley Street Dining redevelopment aimed at delivering an ‘eat street’ precinct to Woden in 2019. Poor pandemic timing likely contributed to the decline of the curated list of six venues, which were used to launch the precinct.
The Bavarian, North East Vietnamese, and Sugar Rush Dessert Bar were all part of the initial opening group but have since closed permanently, and Fenway Public House is now apparently sharing the same fate.
Although there has been turnover among the street’s venues, the precinct still boasts plenty of excellent eateries, with the recent addition of food trucks like the Two Sisters Laos truck, which has brought extra foot traffic to the area.
A recent visit to Hanok Korean BBQ and Dumpling Social found plenty of patrons.
General Manager of AHA ACT Chris Gatfield told Region that while he couldn’t speak to the specifics of Fenway’s situation, he is seeing many struggling businesses across the board.
“It’s tough out there for a lot of operators. The disruption of the city is garnering a lot of attention, and I really feel for those businesses, but closures like this show that it’s not just the city that is struggling,” he told Region.
“I know people’s wallets are under pressure and they’re looking at ways to minimise non-essential spending. But it does make it really difficult for a lot of our members.”
He also cited the recent interest rate rise as a potential factor for hospitality businesses struggling at the moment.
Region attempted to contact Fenway House owner and liquidator for comment.
