Gerties crowdfunding won’t keep it in classic New Farm premises

Gerties might almost be gone, with the New Farm bar scheduled to serve its last punters this weekend.

But owner Raul Chocop is determined it won’t be forgotten, launching a crowdfunding campaign to help reopen the bar in a new location.

“For 32 years, Gertie’s [sic] Bar & Restaurant has been more than just a venue — it has been a home for live music, celebrations, first dates, birthdays, long conversations and unforgettable nights,” Chocop wrote onpopular crowdfunding website Gofundme.

“After three decades in the same location, we are closing our doors — not by choice, but because we are no longer able to continue operating in our current premises.

“But this is not the end.

“We are determined to reopen in a new location and continue what we’ve built for over 32 years: community, music, hospitality and a space where people feel welcome.”

Chocop’s post says the money raised will go towards securing a new lease and permits, fit-out and staffing, and the purchase of equipment for a new venue.

“If Gertie’s has ever meant something to you — a memory, a friendship, a performance, a night you’ll never forget — we invite you to be part of its next chapter.

“This is not just about saving a bar. It’s about preserving a legacy.”

At the time of writing, the campaign has raised $410 of an initial $1100 target. Speaking to this masthead on Wednesday morning, Chocop said the ultimate target is $10,000, the final amount potentially also to be used to fund a storage solution while he settles on premises for the business.

“People are asking where I’m going. ‘Is it Paddington?’ Or they’re telling me, ‘You should come to West End, to Albion, to Hamilton.’”

Raul Chocop

“I feel I have a good chance to come back,” Chocop said. “I’ve been very busy with people supporting me and supporting Gerties. It’s just that there’s nothing like this space in New Farm with a similar character.

“People are asking where I’m going. ‘Is it Paddington?’ Or they’re telling me, ‘You should come to West End, to Albion, to Hamilton.’

“I just need to be located somewhere where’s there’s foot traffic. We can be a destination but it’s better if we’re close to something.”

For 32 years, Gerties has sat watching over the intersection of Brunswick and Barker streets while others have come and gone – Alibi Room, Taj Mahal and so many more.

Chocop made the decision to close the bar in November after he couldn’t agree on terms for a new lease with his landlord. He scheduled Gerties’ last service for the end of February, and was initially undecided about whether to relocate it.

Chocop told this masthead at that time it was a difficult decision to close, given the bar was still trading strongly. But a proposed steep hike in rent and a litany of maintenance issues meant the decision was more or less made for him.

Originally, the final service was scheduled for Thursday night, with a private function taking over the venue on Saturday. But Chocop says he will now open to the public that afternoon and evening also.

“There’s a lot of stress because you need to get things wrapped up, but I need to try and enjoy it,” he said.

“I’m talking to people and they have stories about first coming here 20 years ago. It’s stories like that, that make me think Gerties has a future.”