Super Whatnot, a celebrated early mover on Brisbane’s small-bar scene, will shut permanently at the end of the week. The closure was announced on the venue’s Instagram account last night.

“Super Whatnot will be open from Thursday to Saturday this week and will then close,” the post read. “It’s been a pleasure pouring alcohol into your beautiful faces. As nice as it’s been here, it’s nothing without you. With love always, Super Whatnot.”

Speaking to Broadsheet this morning, owner Simon Martin said the bar had been out of lease for some time, but he only made the decision to pull up stumps last week.

Never miss a Brisbane moment. Make sure you're subscribed to our newsletter today.

SUBSCRIBE NOW

“I feel Super Whatnot has run a really amazing life,” he said. “The bar is still well received, it’s still trading well and it still feels good, but it’s reached a point where it needs or deserves a bit of a refurbishment and some money spent on it.

“It’s been a really hard decision, but I think it’s the right one … A lot of people have enjoyed this place, but all good things come to an end, and this was probably a good time to call it.”

Super Whatnot opened in December 2011 on the back of the Queensland government’s 2009 introduction of small-bar licences, which helped trigger a transformation of the city’s drinking scene. Built into the loading dock of a former beauty school in inner-city Burnett Lane, the bar was known for its distinctive three-level design by architects Marc & Co and Nielsen Jenkins. It quickly became a CBD after-work melting pot, attracting everyone from the city’s serious drinking crowd to spent office workers and shoppers from nearby Queen Street Mall.

“After The End, it was one of the first small-bar licence category holders,” Martin says. “And in my mind it was one of the first to champion design and DJs and craft beer in a design-considered small-bar space.”

Super Whatnot came into its own in the mid-2010s but has hardly missed a beat in the new decade, becoming part of an impressive triple threat alongside its more recently arrived Burnett Lane neighbours, Death & Taxes and Alba Bar & Deli. Martin reckons it hit its peak just before the onset of the pandemic.

“Covid was rough on everyone,” he says. “It took the energy out of the city, and from there, with people working from home, it’s taken away that Friday afternoon vibe. Hopefully it will come back. I think there are better days ahead for the city, but I won’t be here to find out.

“Some things have a natural life span, and Super Whatnot has been epic. I’m standing inside the bar now and I love it, but I think it’s better to close it when you love it rather than when you hate it.

“I put that post up on Instagram last night, and perhaps I should put that up more often – that we’re closing,” he continues, laughing. “Because it’s been well received and well supported and well loved all the way through, but it was nice to see some expressions of appreciation.”

Super Whatnot’s final service will be this Saturday.