Sad news for westsiders: the Reverence Hotel in Footscray has today announced it will be closing its doors. After serving plenty of beers, cheap tacos and excellent pub trivia for almost six and a half years, the Rev will be holding its last day of trading on March 2, 2019.
Writing in a post on their facebook page, the Rev team have said they haven’t managed to secure another lease on the pub for the future, as they’ve been operating on a month-to-month basis for the last little while. “Without a lease of any certainty for a home, we are unable to plan long-term and have had to stop investing back into the venue,” says the statement.
The team go on to thank their loyal customers and the Footscray community in general. “Looking back we are really proud of our achievements, the community that has congregated and the memories that have been made are immense. What we’ve created here has far surpassed our expectations!”
The Reverence Hotel has been a Time Out favourite for years as well, having won Best Live Music Pub at the 2015 Time Out Pub Awards. The pub has been known for its comedy nights and trivia every Wednesday, but where the Rev really shines is – funnily enough – in the darkest corner of the whole establishment: the backyard bandroom. Its doors have been open to a staggering variety of local, national and international acts over the years, serving anything from tango to trance (though grungy rock dogs are its bread and butter).
But it’s not goodbye yet – be sure to show the Rev plenty of support in its remaining few months. And be sure to pour one out for Jack, the Rev’s resident black labrador/great dane, whose picture is hung in the front bar.