This Just In: Pawn & Co Has Always Had Everything for Sale — Now You Can Buy the Nightclub as It Goes Up for Secret Auction
After 14 years of selling almost everything inside its walls, Pawn&Co is putting the ultimate item up for grabs — itself.
Since 2012, spending your hard-earned money at Pawn & Co didn't simply mean getting a drink at the bar or entry through the door. The beloved venue also made its name on its unique concept — where virtually everything inside was up for sale. One too many shots and you might have awoken at home to find yourself the proud new owner of a vintage neon sign, a cryogenic chamber or a painting that poured cocktails.
Yet, this time, Pawn & Co are going a step further, with the venue now up for grabs after a 14-year run. But like most things about this Prahran pawnshop-meets-nightclub, it isn't selling in a conventional way. Offered through a confidential nine-week 'secret auction' running from Saturday, October 10–Saturday, December 12, now is your chance to talk turkey.
While the outcome of the auction will be announced at the end of nine weeks, the club can be sold at any moment, with a straightforward process featuring no public bidding ladder, no visible underbidder and no gavel falling on one final day. And importantly, the owners aren't simply chasing the highest bidder, but someone who will help carry on the venue's rather unique vision.
"Ironically, the idea of being more than a hospitality venue, of creating an experience people can completely step inside, is exactly where the world is now," says Pawn & Co co-founder Josh Lefers. "That makes selling Pawn bittersweet. We were so far ahead of the zeitgeist that there may never have been a better time to own a concept like this."
Ready to name your best price? For the considerable coin involved, you'll score two fully-kitted levels on Greville Street, with a late-night license that permits trading until 5am. And with a capacity of 380 patrons, you'll have plenty of ways to build upon the venue's legacy as one of Melbourne's standout nightclubs.
"Pawn has the history, the recognition and a concept people already understand," adds Lefers. "What it needs next is a fresh and focused team with the energy to take it into its next chapter."
Pawn & Co's secret auction runs from Saturday, October 10–Saturday, December 12. Head to the website for more information.
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Images: Supplied.
