Bar Julius and Lottie to Shut as Hospitality Pivot Reshapes Wunderlich Lane

After less than two years in business, European-inspired Bar Julius and its Mexican rooftop counterpart Lottie will serve their final guests at the end of August. Both venues sit inside The Eve Hotel Sydney in Redfern’s Wunderlich Lane precinct and are operated by hospitality group Liquid and Larder.

The spaces won’t stay empty long. Prominent Sydney group The Apollo Group — which already runs neighbouring Olympus Dining — will take over the two locations, adding them to a portfolio that includes The Apollo and Cho Cho San. It marks the latest development in the $500 million precinct, which also houses a boutique grocer and several other eateries.

Owner James Bradey told The Sydney Morning Herald that while the venues were well-executed, they hadn’t met financial expectations. Beyond the broader cost-of-living headwinds hitting hospitality, he flagged a surprising factor: the name “Bar Julius” itself. It signalled to many patrons that the venue was only open at night, deterring breakfast and daytime trade — despite being an all-day spot for hotel guests.

The closure follows a string of high-profile shutdowns in Sydney, including live-music venue MoshPit Newtown, which cited surging expenses. For locals, the loss of the European-style watering hole and rooftop Mexican diner came as a jolt, with many voicing shock on social media.

Why a Name Can Sink a Venue — and What Comes Next

The Power of a Name in Hospitality

Bradey’s admission that the word “Bar” discouraged daytime customers highlights a genuine branding risk in the sector. The original intended name “Baptist” was lost to another venue in the same development, leaving “Bar Julius” as the fallback. The name immediately positioned the space as an evening-only destination, a perception that can be fatal for venues that rely on morning coffee, breakfast and lunch covers. Bradey now muses that “Bistro Julius” or simply “Julius” might have better signalled its all-day nature — a lesson that underscores how much a single word can reshape consumer behaviour.

A Growing Portfolio for The Apollo Group

The Apollo Group’s takeover is a pragmatic expansion within a precinct it already knows. Having operated Olympus Dining in the same building, the group can leverage existing kitchen infrastructure, supplier relationships and local brand recognition. The consolidation gives it a dining monopoly across the hotel’s food-and-beverage spaces, potentially streamlining costs in an environment where hospitality margins are thin. For Liquid and Larder, the exit provides a clean handover rather than a drawn-out struggle.

The Cost-of-Living Squeeze on Sydney’s Venues

The closure sits against a backdrop of rising operational costs and cautious consumer spending. While the naming mis-step was unique, the financial strain Bradey described aligns with broader industry pressures. The shutdown of MoshPit Newtown, a cultural mainstay for punk and alternative music, further illustrates how even established names are buckling. In this climate, venues that fail to capture every available revenue window — breakfast, lunch, afternoon trade — are especially vulnerable.