Merry laughter no more as Bojangles closes its doors
ICONIC Alice Springs establishment Bojangles has closed — and the saloon and restaurant’s management are closelipped about why.
Manager Wayne Bottomley confirmed that Bojangles would be closed for trading from today unless someone buys them out.
When contacted by the Sunday Territorian, Mr Bottomley said he was ‘‘not interested’’ in speaking about the reasons for shuttering the venue. ‘‘We’ve got nothing to say,’’ he said.
The well-known saloon re- opened under new management at the start of 2012 but the business has reportedly struggled to turn a profit because of rent and utility costs.
In February, Mr Bottomley told the Centralian Advocate the pub faced closure and urged locals to support it before it was too late.
Lonely Planet advises travellers to visit the famous pub, which has been in business for 79 years.
‘‘Bo’s is beloved of backpacker groups and station ringers and is jumping most nights of the week,’’ the travel bible says.
The pub started as a guesth- ouse in 1935 and has changed hands several timesIt was the Teapot Inn, the Centre restaurant, and then became Bojangles in the late 1970s.
The tables and bar were made of jarrah Ghan railway sleepers and the seats out of cowhide. It has won dozens of hotel industry awards.