In the uncertainty of 2020, Olivia Moore took a leap of faith and opened LOC Bottle Bar, signalling the dawn of a new era at The Block on Hindmarsh Square / Mukata.
Written by Renew Adelaide
An opportunity presents itself, against all odds
The turning point came when lessor Christo Biven (Principal, Retail Asset Management) found himself struggling to lease a ground floor tenancy located next to one of the city’s medi-hotels, in the midst of the pandemic.
Given the lessor’s long-standing relationship with Renew Adelaide, he approached the team about activating the space with a quite specific goal: to transition this micro-precinct into one that could cater for day-to-night-time trade. It was integral that Renew Adelaide was not activating space with another small bar competitor, but adding to the existing market with something unique and complementary.
Enter: LOC
A small bar specialising in natural wine, LOC was a concept not yet to be found in the Adelaide wine scene. Having previously run a successful online natural wine store, Olivia was ready to open her own brick-and-mortar space, and had been in discussion with Renew for some time. As a first-time commercial tenant, she had some unfamiliar territory to navigate.
“There are things you just have no idea about at all,” she explains. “But I felt very comfortable going into it knowing I would have supervision. I had the freedom to make decisions, but I could seek advice from Renew Adelaide on matters like compliance assessment, Council approvals, and media.”
Her confidence in the space and trust in Renew’s experience outweighed her apprehension about opening a business a couple of months into a global pandemic, and she seized the opportunity.
A change is afoot on Hindmarsh Square
“This kicked off a huge change,” says Christo. “We found ourselves with very hard-to-lease spaces on our hands, all at same time. But the success of LOC helped to attract other younger, funkier, more driven businesses that were willing to give it a crack.”
When LOC Bottle Bar first opened, the surrounding area primarily served city workers catering to a corporate clientele. Despite initial concern that the absence of workers and the neighbouring medi-hotel would pose challenges for businesses in the area, the opposite proved to be true.
A more cohesive offering
Renew’s work in collaboration with Olivia and the lessor set off a chain of unstoppable events, with The Block seeing significant cultural transformation since. Continuing with Carton Deli’s succulent sandwiches and Room On Fire’s vintage-laden clothing racks, the influence eventually spread to the upper floor, with visual artist Billie Justice Thompson establishing her studio alongside Renew graduates Taboo Period Products and creative agency Albie Mgmt. Long-standing tenant Clarity Records doubled their footprint during the same period, becoming a greater drawcard for the building.
“All these changes happening together made the upper floor a lot easier to lease to smaller businesses,” Christo explains. “Historically, it’s been a revolving door of tenants. But since the ground floor has evolved as a result of LOC, the cohesiveness has carried through to upstairs – it’s got this great, neighbourly feeling with a lot of like-minded businesses.”
The dawn of a new era
Today, The Block is thriving. Olivia has carried out renovations in the LOC space and expanded her offering to include monthly chef guest spots, featuring a thoughtfully curated menu of local produce by night. Fellow Renew Adelaide graduate Albie Mgmt has recently welcomed live music photographer Samuel Graves into the space, with design studio Peculiar Familia soon to launch on the upper floor – also through the Renew program. The expansion of Clarity Records has enabled live music to flourish in the space, with regular gigs and record signings bringing the building to life. The opening of French bar and bistrot Le Pas Sage has signified a flow-on effect not only within The Block, but to the surrounding precinct.
With its buzzing energy and growing popularity, The Block has become a beloved destination for locals and visitors alike. The revitalisation of the building over a four-year period shows the dramatic impact just one carefully-selected tenant can have on a precinct. Now home to a savvy, creatively-minded community of small businesses, the only question is: what’s next?