The Tote Hotel Is for Sale. Who’ll Rescue the Iconic Rock’n’ Roll Pub This Time?

A bit after lunchtime today, the Tote Hotel dropped a bombshell on Instagram: the business is for sale. The news isn’t much of a surprise given the pub’s struggles throughout the pandemic , nor its failure to pay staff superannuation for close to two years (the pub self-reported to the ATO and has fully repaid all money owed) – but it still hurts.

Built in 1870, the pub was rechristened the Tote in 1981 and quickly gained a reputation for showcasing emerging rock and garage groups in the back bandroom. The grungy, iconic space has hosted The White Stripes, Dead Moon, Mudhoney, the Dirtbombs, Paul Kelly, Violet Soho, You Am I, the Drones, Jet, Spiderbait, Courtney Barnett and countless other local and international stars.

In 2010, after a change to liquor licensing laws, the beloved pub was designated a “high-risk” venue, adding untenably to its insurance and security costs and closing the doors. “I’ve simply run out of money,” licensee Bruce Milne told The Age at the time. Less than two months later, an estimated 20,000 Melburnians turned out to protest the legislative changes at the Save Live Australian Music rally, many galvanised by the closure of the Tote.

Sam Crupi, Jon Perring and the late Andy Portokallis eventually stepped up, reopening the doors six months later, in June 2010, and saving the Tote from certain doom. Now they want someone else to do the same.

“We signed up to save the Tote once, not expecting to have to do it twice,” Crupi and Perring said. “Especially after we lost our business partner to cancer just before the Covid lockdowns started. It’s time for someone else to take it on with renewed enthusiasm and vision now Covid is behind us. We feel the timing [is] right.

“The Tote needs to broaden its business model to remain relevant in the future. We will be looking favourably at proposals that ensure a live music component including buyers who wish to pursue a mixed development of the property centred around the Hotel. There is plenty of opportunity around the addition of food service to the existing business or by the addition of a brewhouse.”

The pub will keep hosting gigs until new owners are found and take possession of the business. “Then it will be up to the new owners,” the post said. “This is likely to be around June.”

Richard Miglic, the agent handling the sale, confirmed to Broadsheet that the land and building are being offered for sale in addition to the Tote brand and business. “We've had dozens of enquiries already in the campaign's first 24 hours,” he said, noting that expressions of interest close on April 6.