Ipswich is South East Queensland’s youngest population, with young families flocking to the city in droves to enjoy the lifestyle the region has to offer. Yet in recent years, the night-time economy has not kept pace with demand for entertainment and dining options to suit.
That’s all about to change though, and owners of local favourite The Rusty Nail can’t wait.
After moving to Ipswich in 2018, Emma Hutchinson and John Keating decided to open a bar in the heart of the city that was a welcoming place to enjoy food and drinks.
Now celebrating The Rusty Nail’s second birthday, the craft beer, tapas and wine bar is a much-loved second home for locals from Thursday to Sunday each week.
“We are so grateful for the support we’ve received from our customers and the community as we enter our third year of business,” John said.
“Small businesses are doing it tough at the moment, like so many Australians are, and the city’s local businesses need everyone’s help to thrive.
“We strongly believe in locals supporting locals, and Ipswich has many fantastic local businesses that we can all be proud of. Every dollar you spend at a local business is more than just a transaction; it’s an investment in the heart of the city.”
With new entertainment precinct the Venue opening across the street and the revitalised Hotel Commonwealth also just a short stroll away, John hopes that the city heart will soon offer a bustling night life fit for a young and vibrant community.
“We are so excited to see the Nicholas Street Precinct really come to life next year – the more we can attract people to the city heart, the better,” John said.
“We have loved getting to know our customers over the past two years and look forward to welcoming even more as the new entertainment areas take shape.
“But with Christmas coming up and the silly season under way, don’t wait – it’s the perfect time to visit and get to know The Rusty Nail now if you haven’t already.”
The Rusty Nail is open from 4pm Thursday to Saturday and from 2pm on Sundays.
3 questions for John and Emma
- Why did you choose the precinct to open The Rusty Nail?
When we moved to Ipswich, we fell in love with the place – but we noticed there wasn’t a lot of options for people who wanted to go out for some nice food and drinks in a relaxing atmosphere.
We felt like the night life wasn’t happening. We had opened a number of coffee shops and a bar in the past, so we thought we’d do it again here in Ipswich and create a place that we’d like to go to in the heart of the city. - What does the emerging city heart mean for The Rusty Nail?
We are so excited to see the city heart come to life with the new Venue opening and also the Hotel Commonwealth just around the corner. We love seeing when there are events on in Tulmur Place like Tunes in Tulmur or the upcoming St Nicholas Precinct light installation, people flock to the city and it has an incredible vibe. We’d love to see that all year round and it can be with more places opening up for people to enjoy. - What’s the future looking like for The Rusty Nail in the precinct?
In our second year we also welcomed our second child, so the future is looking busy for us! But we are loving it, and we know that things are only going to get bigger and brighter here in the city heart. We’ll welcome our loyal customers, and make new ones too.
