Follies Bar

Welcome to the Follies Community!

My name is Olivia and I am the extremely excited and only a little but terrified individual you (hopefully) just watched in the video above.

This year I decided to take the biggest plunge of my life and leave my career to open a vegan bar in Melbourne. I have always had a passionate love of food, particularly of experimenting with plant-based fare to make delicious meals. The eating part is also a highlight.

Second to my love of food is my love of beers, and we all know the only sensible way to bring those two passions together is in a beautiful venue serving delicious food and frosty pints. And cocktails, and wines, and all things tasty.

I am also committed bringing all the values from my career in social justice, and creating a space that is inclusive, safe and most importantly filled with joy. And I mean in practice, not just on paper.

In August I secured a fantastic venue on Johnston Street in Fitzroy, smack in Melbourne (and possibly the world’s) beating vegan heart.

I have been hustling away on renovations, licenses and all those other fun things, predominantly with funding I have secured from a private lender, and a sizeable chunk of my own personal investment. However, old buildings are always filled with surprises, so I am now inviting my wonderful community into the project to help get us to that long awaited opening night.

We have some very cool very limited merch that will forever tell the world you were a part of the Follies family from the ground up. We also have some higher value options if you would like to be a part of Follies in a more physical, and arguably less sensible way.

I know these kind of campaigns are not something everyone can chip in to, and for those of you in that boat, I see you and appreciate your support all the same.

I can’t wait to see you all for a drink when we open our doors this summer!

The Follies Bar Buzz

Follies is your local vegan antipasti bar in Melbourne’s inner North.

Our food takes the traditional Basque pintxos concept and extends it across the Mediterranean, taking inspiration from the vibrant Greek and Italian communities that have influenced so much of our city’s culture.

Follies is a warm and relaxed space where you can enjoy good tunes and a cold beer, making it the perfect starting point for a night out, and even better for celebrating with friends and family.

Our values are inclusion, sustainability and most importantly joy. We work to ensure Follies is a safe space for all staff and customers.

Where are we at?

Things at Follies are flying ahead as we rapidly move towards opening night in early 2023.

Renovation work has started at the property, with the big job of stripping the previous fit our now complete and all the structural upgrades (electrical, hot water, plumbing) made. As we roll into 2023 the aesthetic of Follies is starting to come together and it's very, very exciting.

Slightly less glamorous but just as important is the behind the scenes work of getting the premise licensed, which is now underway, and pending council and Liquor Comission turnover times, should be completed in late February.

Marketing is going swimmingly as we pick up a bit of buzz online and start plans for a launch event in the next few months.

And finally as we enter the new year, we are excited to start putting together the Follies Bar team! Watch this space for updates on all of the above.

As I mentioned above, the startup costs for this project have largely been secured through private lenders as well as my own savings. 

The additional funds I am seeking now are to cover some of the unforeseen costs related to this very lovely but bloody ancient building, and help get us over the finish line in the next two months.

High-level Breakdown

As you can imagine the costs for a project of this size this are so very numerous, so I've tried to include a high-level summary below, and am always happy to chat through in more detail.