Local bar scene gets shaken, not stirred
EXPLORING the ‘what if’ has been Tenelle Bond’s philosophy while making her lifelong dream to open a bar come true.
As the brains behind Dubbo’s hottest new concept venue, The Establishment Bar, Mrs Bond and her husband Robert have spent the last five years perfecting their vision before taking the plunge and opening the doors to the 1930s speakeasy-inspired lounge in February.
“The passion never died for me. I hit so many road blocks over those five years, I questioned and wondered whether I was doing the right thing for my family, but what have we got to lose,” Mrs Bond told
“If it doesn’t work, we can bounce back. We are young enough to go and get another job. But what if it works?”
Now, only three months in, it’s working.
Having been in the hospitality industry most of her life, Mrs Bond saw a gap for a niche bar in the Dubbo market.
“I’ve always had a bit of a passion for opening my own little café bar and we thought Dubbo was relatively untouched so why not take the punt and go for it,” she said.
“I’ve always had a bit of a nostalgic sense about me and I love the idea of living the old through the new. I really wanted to create that old jazz club vibe, a lounge bar-feel, where you could just go and hangout and it’s what Dubbo was missing.”
Describing it as “moody and intimate”, Mrs Bond wants The Establishment Bar to be on par with any metro venue.
“My whole ambition is to give people an experience that they don’t have to drive four hours to have,” she said.
“Just because we are in a rural town, it doesn’t mean that we should miss out. It shouldn’t mean we can’t have the little luxuries that people have in the city.”
The Bonds are also attempting to offer a point of difference when it comes to opening hours, running a Thursday to Monday operation.
“There’s no 9 to 5 anymore, there’s no Monday to Friday, and a lot of us work in hospitality or the service industry,” Mrs Bond explained.
“By opening Sundays and Mondays when a lot of other places around town are closed, gives these workers somewhere to go.”
With a lengthy spirit menu, live entertainment and cocktail specials, it’s little wonder the lounge has been warmly received by the community.
“It’s so nice when people walk through the door and say, ‘Oh wow I wasn’t expecting this’ or ‘This doesn’t feel like we are in Dubbo,’” Mrs Bond laughed.
“It’s been very well received so far but there’s still a lot of people who don’t know about us or don’t know where to find us. In line with the speakeasy vibe, we aren’t exactly hidden, but we are off the beaten track. It’s like a little adult treasure hunt I think.”
And although things are going well so far, Mrs Bond is calling for the community to continue to support small businesses in the area.
“If you drive down the main street in Dubbo, there’s so many shops here – and people are wanting them – but people also need to get out and support them because owners can’t sustain their businesses if you don’t go and visit them.”
The Establishment Bar is located in Macquarie Street, near the Old Dubbo Gaol.
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