Footscray’s first community-owned LGBTIQ-friendly bar has secured a venue.
Pride of our Footscray, co-owned by nearly 200 shareholders who chipped in a minimum of $500, will take over 1/88 Hopkins Street on October 15.
The initiative is the brainchild of Footscray’s Mat O’Keefe, who’ll be “chief bar officer”. He has plans to completely refurbish and expand the venue, formerly operating as Eighty Eight Karaoke Bar.
“The Asians consider 88 to be lucky,” Mr O’Keefe said.
“They have this giant space but they’ve got a liquor licence for 88 people – even though they could have a liquor licence for 250 – because of the lucky number.
“We want to expand that because it’s a really big space.
“If we got a balcony, which we’re talking to council about, you would be able to see, obviously, Barkly Street, Hopkins Street, but also Docklands, the wheel, the city, Franco Cozzo – it’s in a really good spot there opposite the market.”
Pride of our Footscray is expected to open in time for the Spring Carnival.
Shareholders signed a pledge which stated: “I am part of the human race and I respect diversity, including but not limited to, diversity of thought, opinion, gender, culture, ethnicity, religion and sexuality”.
