Melbourne Live Music Institution The Tote Is Up For Sale

Melbourne live music institution The Tote is up for sale.

Just over 10 years after it was famously saved from the scrapheap by widespread community support, the venue’s owners supposedly “have no petrol left in the tank.”

Co-owners Jon Perring and Sam Crupi broke the news in a social media statement.

“We signed up to save the Tote once, not expecting to have to do it twice!” they wrote. “Especially after we lost our business partner to cancer just before the COVID lockdowns started. It’s time for someone else to take it on with renewed enthusiasm and vision now COVID is behind us. We feel the timing (sic) right.”

According to the co-owners, the beloved Collingwood spot “needs to broaden its business model to remain relevant in the future.”

“We will be looking favourably at proposals that ensure a live music component including buyers who wish to pursue a mixed development of the property centred around the Hotel. There is plenty of opportunity around the addition of food service to the existing business or by the addition of a brew house,” they continued.

Thankfully, The Tote will keep hosting live music until new ownership is found, which is expected to be around June. Any prospective bands should note that the venue is accepting bookings up until this time.

The social media statement included contact numbers for anyone interested in purchasing The Tote: Richard Miglic (Miglic Dean) on 0418 556 900 or richard@miglicdean.com.au. The sale listing can also be found here.

The statement concluded by addressing persistent rumours about staff payments: “staff super payments are up to date and have been since 28th September 2021 when the super guarantee fund was paid out in full.”

The Tote should find its way into safe hands again, with punk rock band Private Function already expressing an interest: “We’re gonna put in a bid lol,” they commented on Instagram.