Torquay farewells Growlers after more than 20 years of service

ONE of Torquay’s cornerstone hospitality venues has closed its doors after more than 20 years of trading.

Local hotspot Growlers closed operations last month after their landlords chose not to renew the business’ lease.

It leaves mixed emotions for co-owners of Growlers Peter and Mandy Hansen, who walk away from their home-away-from-home, spending the last seven-and-a-half years building it up with now little to show for it.

“Mandy has been in hospitality for 42 years, so she was getting happy to probably be finishing up soon,” Mr Hansen said.

“But it is quite sad that it has come to an end and more so the way it has come to an end, it’s not about choosing.

“We have been forced into this position.”

Mr Hansen explained that being forced to stop continuing their business had left the pair with emotions of both sadness and a little bit of anger, given they were more than happy to continue running and owning the business.

“To be brutally honest, Mandy and I spent seven-and-a-half years there building the business up,” he said.

“We had done that for our family’s benefit, not for someone else’s.

“You don’t put seven-and-a-half years of work into something for someone else to come in and take advantage of that.”

While the owners leave Growlers under somewhat disappointing circumstances, the venue has created many great memories for Mr and Mrs Hansen.

“We have been living in Torquay for the last 12 years, but what Growlers has enabled us to do is to meet people that we otherwise would not have been able to meet,” Mr Hansen said.

“We have made long-time friendships with other families and people within the community, and seen their kids grow up.

“As well as all the local sporting clubs that we have been able to help out over the years, which we were more than happy to do.

“We also want to take this opportunity to thank our neighbours, as we always tried to do right by them over the years.”

Mr Hansen said that the handful of weddings that he and Mandy have hosted over the years are up there with his fondest memories.

“Growlers did lend itself to be that casual fun wedding,” he said.

“And every time we met with a bride or a groom, they or the family came back the next day and said to us it was the best wedding ever.”

Peter and Mandy will spend a lot more time with their three granddaughters and another grandchild on the way going forward.

He also urges other small business owners to revisit their lease and try to prevent something similar happening to them.