With lines of keen shoppers trailing out the door, the newly-launched Driza-Bone pop-up is trying to reinvigorate one of Sturt Street’s maligned historical buildings.
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The Sutton building had sat empty since October, when Ballarat entertainment venue Sutton’s House of Music closed following failed rental negotiations.
But the R B Sellars outlet – which stocks iconic Australian brand Driza-Bone – launched on Saturday with more than 50 people already waiting for the doors to open.
R B Sellars head of retail operations Abi Flatters said the company had a three-month lease in place for the building, but negotiations were under way for something more long-term.
“We’re looking into a permanent location in Ballarat, we love this building and think its fantastic, and potentially we’re going to stay here long-term,” she said.
“Regardless of whether we stay here or go somewhere else, we’re going to be in Ballarat long-term I think.”
Built in 1892 by the Sutton Family, the Sutton building was Australia’s first purpose-built music emporium, and was the tallest commercial building in Ballarat.
Ms Flatters told The Courier that Driza-Bone’s online sales were particularly strong in the region, outpacing the rest of Australia. RB Sellars took over Driza-Bone about 12 months ago.
“We’ve only actually advertised on Facebook,” she said. “It just went wild and we’ve had so much positive feedback from customers and such a strong response that we couldn’t not stay in Ballarat after that, so watch out.”
In its heyday, the Sutton building was visited by opera singer Dame Nellie Melba, inventor Alexander Graham Bell and author Mark Twain. Famed inventor Henry Sutton created a phone network in the building
