Source : Perth Now news
Behind the intricately-carved wooden doors on a quiet street in Prahran is one of Melbourne’s most celebrated and beloved destinations.
Those who enter inside are met with lashings of gold frames, neon lights, antique furniture, and hordes of goods up for sale.
They can order a cocktail, and once they’re finished, purchase the glass it came in.
In fact, attendees can purchase anything they see inside, be it a painting on the wall, the vintage chair in the corner or the bartender’s bow-tie.
Established in 2012, Pawn and Co has stood as an experiential nightclub, operating both as a pawnshop and a place to boogie.
Its walls have seen some of the country’s most beloved DJs and celebrities, including Dom Dolla, Sharam Jey, Matthias Meyer, J Phlip, Sinden, Boogs, Buddy Franklin and Dylan Alcott.
Since its doors first opened, everything inside has been up for sale.
Now the venue itself is up for grabs.
Stakeholder Josh Lefers told NewsWire this was always the plan.
“We’ve spent over a decade telling people everything in Pawn was for sale, including Pawn itself,” he said.
“Turns out we weren’t joking.”
The nightclub was more than just a place to drink and dance – it’s even a place for those to pawn their own goods, in exchange for a drink, of course.
“There’s this sort of fun element where people that are, you know, don’t have a lot of money, but might want to come and pawn something,” he said.
“You can go in with your unwashed undies and we might say ‘OK, I will give you a couple of drink cards, that’s a funny thing, and then we will resell it.”
From October 10 to December 12, those interested in taking over the pawnshop-turned-nightclub can register their interest online and make their bid.
“Over the nine weeks, anybody can be there. We can accept an offer at any time,” Mr Lefers told NewsWire.
Only serious offers will be considered, and buyers will not be told about the other potential bids on the table.
The stakeholders aren’t interested in chasing the highest bidder.
Instead, Mr Lefers said they were open to anyone who could take the nightclub to the next level, while maintaining its integrity.
“I’d love to see somebody that has a vision of expanding (Pawn and Co) while understanding that we still want to talk to the great music tradition and the great late-night clubbing tradition of the venue,” he said.
“The ideal person for us would be to carry on that vision. And I’d be well and truly open to assisting that … let us let us help you with what the brand is about, where we saw the future. And if you want to be the person who’s executing that, go for it.”
Mr Lefers said despite night-life on the decline in the city, he hopes more experiential and activity-based bars and nightclubs would take over.
He trusts the next owners of Pawn and Co will carry this flame.
“At the end of the day, people want to connect and they want to connected through escapism,” he told NewsWire.
“There’s stuff like social lubricants, like alcohol, music, dancing, and eating and these are all social lubricants to escapism and connect together by just getting on a social plane together.”
The silent auction begins on October 10 and will run for nine weeks until December 12, 2026.
Those interested can register for the auction here.
