Oxford Street late night dining institution Mr Crackles closes
By LUKE DAYKIN
Nights out in Darlinghurst, particularly on Oxford Street are never going to be the same again with the sudden and shocking closure of late-night mainstay Mr. Crackles.
Just doors away from the Stonewall Hotel in the heart of Sydney’s gay district, Mr. Crackles provided healthy late-night Australian cuisine. A far cry from the options now available.
Mr. Crackles first opened in 2013 and quickly garnered a cult following for food and snacks after a night out on the, not so anymore, Golden Mile.
Owners Sam Horowitz and Carlos Justo have blamed a mixture of inflation and a lack of bounce-back post-COVID, forcing the closure of their Sydney and Melbourne restaurants.
RIP Mr Crackles. Devo https://t.co/ZLpmdDCIwG
— Corey (@CoreySinclair) May 6, 2023
Earlier in April the owners’ other late-night food destination, Thirsty Bird located in Kings Cross and Newtown similarly closed with little warning.
Sydney’s dying nightlife
It is a clear sign of the times and a barometer check for Sydney’s ailing nightlife in areas that were affected first by the Lockdown Laws introduced to curb injuries from alcohol-fuelled violence and “Coward’s Punches”, then the pandemic lockdowns.
Wow! When I first came to Aus I used to order Mr Crackles each and every other day. So sad. https://t.co/zF5PdbKw2y
— Just Kundai doing 100 days of code 💻🤩 (@just_kundai) May 6, 2023
Particularly the strip which has been boarded up for construction indefinitely while redevelopment and gentrification of the area occurs in an attempt to revive the historic gay district, a move that has significantly reduced patronage to the area.
Oxford Street has suffered a lack of foot traffic for some time, with the City of Sydney introducing shared pedestrian bike paths along the strip, limiting the space available for food outlets to provide outdoor seating for customers, a move which saved many a restaurant during the pandemic.
Campaigns to provide additional parking via the removal of clearways along Oxford St, or even to run light rail along the street have fallen on deaf ears.
Many touted Sydney World Pride as the financial saviour of the strip however the crowds have come and gone, with the influx of the estimated 1 million visitors for the event not enough to save the beloved Mr. Crackles.
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