A live music venue that’s been a London, Ont., fixture for more than 30 years may soon be closing its doors for good.
In a Facebook post signed by owner Darren Quinn, Call The Office has announced that it will close indefinitely following a pair of shows this weekend.
“We have been beaten down by this financial landscape and there have been many obstacles, even pre-COVID, as this business has never been easy,” Quinn said in a post shared to the venue’s Facebook page.
Quinn cites an increased workload, a decrease in profits and an industry that’s the most challenging it’s ever been in the more than 25 years he’s spent working it.
“It’s just been so many curveballs to keep searching for reasons to pursue the passion,” Quinn said.
“I did a lot of renovations over COVID time upgrading the club … but the well has run itself dry.”
Call The Office will hold what may be its last hurrah this weekend with a show planned for Thursday and another planned for Saturday.
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Event pages for both shows say the venue will follow COVID-19 health measures. London is currently under the yellow tier of Ontario’s colour-coded coronavirus response framework, which limits venues to having 50 spectators indoors and 100 spectators outdoors, so long as physical distancing can be maintained.
Establishments such as Call The Office will also need to collect contact information for all patrons and performers and employees must also maintain two metres of physical distance, except for purposes of a performance.
Quinn says he hopes to resume operations in the spring or summer of 2021, but is unsure of what the future may hold given the financial hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have unfinished business here, but only time will tell if we will get the chance to continue, and if not us, we hope someone will carry the torch,” Quinn said.
“I can’t wait until I am either behind the bar or in the crowd again.”
With more than 30 years in operation, Call The Office has long been a local staple of live music sitting at the corner of York and Clarence streets. Before it was a bar it was known as The York Hotel in the 1960s.
The Victorian-style building is designated as a cultural heritage resource and was built around 1870 according to the city of London’s registry.
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