Stonewall Hotel’s US Owners Buy Kuleto’s Ahead Of Newtown Expansion

The US owners of Oxford Street’s Stonewall Hotel have purchased Newtown cocktail bar Kuleto’s, only days after they announced a second Sydney location for the iconic gay bar.

On Thursday evening, HTL Property revealed that Pride Holdings Group, the US-based hospitality company that acquired Stonewall in July last year, had bought long-time Newtown institution Kuleto’s in September, as previous owner Donna Asensio steps down from the industry to retire.

“I will leave Kuleto’s and the Newtown community with a very heavy heart, as it has been my home for the better part of 42 years,” she said.

“Nonetheless, I’m pleased with the outcome that HTL Property has delivered on Kuleto’s, and look forward to seeing what the incoming operators will do with some fresh ideas and direction.”

The three storey building is perched up the northern end of King Street, only down the road from both the Newtown and Marlborough Hotels. Its hotel liquor licence has a treasured 3am trading hour approval and the Inner West’s best late-night kebab spot, Mr Yeeros, is a mere few feet away.

The first of many Stonewalls in Sydney?

In an exclusive statement to City Hub on Monday, Stonewall revealed they would be venturing into Newtown with a second Sydney location, showcasing drag, cabaret, live music and queer performance, while supporting both emerging and established artists.

“Newtown is sort of the brother or sister of Oxford Street. It’s got a great restaurant scene and nightclub scene,” said Promotions and Marketing Manager Glenn Hansen. “It was just one of the places that we’d like to be.

“We want to listen to the creatives, listen to the people of Newtown, the Inner West, and hopefully bring something fabulous that’s still got a Stonewall feel to it. We definitely want to listen to the people and try to give them what Newtown wants under the Stonewall brand.”

It comes as Pride Holdings Group looks to expand the Stonewall brand across Australia and Asia, having already launched its first global location, Stonewall Bali, late last year.

The company owns a portfolio of LGBTQIA+ venues in the United States and has indicated a strategic ambition to become a major global operator within LGBTQIA+ nightlife and hospitality, saying in July that they were intending to announce “4–5 new acquisitions over the coming weeks”.