Mana Bar

Mana Bar was an Australian hospitality and entertainment brand built around the combination of cocktails, video games, and gaming-community culture. Its original venue was in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, one of the city's principal nightlife and entertainment districts. Rather than operating as a conventional bar with incidental games, Mana Bar made interactive entertainment part of the venue's central proposition: guests could play current-generation consoles without an additional charge while ordering drinks designed around video-game themes. The concept emerged from a social observation made by Guy Blomberg, co-creator of Australian Gamer, after a house party in December 2007. Blomberg saw that alcohol and video games could create an unusually effective social setting and began developing the idea of a dedicated venue. He was later joined by Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw, a video-game critic; Pras Moorthy, a senior designer associated with The Creative Assembly; and Shay Leighton, creative director of the Brisbane cocktail bar The Bowery. The project required several years of planning, and its opening schedule was postponed more than once. Mana Bar held its Brisbane opening event on 20 March 2010. The venue had a stated capacity of approximately 50 people, but more than 100 visitors reportedly queued on opening night, with some waiting as long as three hours. The launch attracted attention from specialist video-game and technology publications, including Kotaku, Destructoid, Gizmodo, and Joystiq. Its combination of nightlife, games, and geek-culture identity gave it a distinctive position at a time when dedicated gaming bars were still uncommon. The business also developed relationships with video-game publishers and developers. Mana Bar served as a promotional and preview location where selected games or features could be demonstrated before wider release. Reported examples included BlazBlue, the multiplayer beta for Halo: Reach, Just Cause 2, and Raskulls. These activities extended the venue's role beyond ordinary hospitality: it functioned as a community meeting place, a media-friendly launch site, and an informal bridge between game companies and players. Following the Brisbane venue's reception, the operators discussed expansion to Sydney and Melbourne, together with longer-term possibilities in the United States and Europe. A Melbourne location subsequently operated but closed in September 2013 after low patronage was compounded by restricted trading hours. The Brisbane venue continued for several more years. In May 2014, Morrigan Moore became owner and general manager. On 19 May 2015, the owners announced that Mana Bar would cease trading on 24 May 2015, bringing the brand's operating life to an end. No verified information in the supplied reference material establishes a continuing corporate entity, successor venue, or current commercial operation.

Mana Bar was conceived in Brisbane as a purpose-built meeting point for video-game enthusiasts and nightlife customers. The initial idea came from Guy Blomberg, co-creator of Australian Gamer, after a house party in December 2007. Blomberg observed that gaming and drinking had worked well together as a social activity and began considering whether the combination could support a dedicated commercial venue. The project was subsequently developed with Ben Croshaw, known for video-game criticism; Pras Moorthy, a senior designer at The Creative Assembly; and Shay Leighton, creative director of the local cocktail bar The Bowery. The founders spent several years planning the concept and experienced delays to the projected opening dates. Their intended format combined a cocktail bar with a lounge in which customers could play contemporary consoles at no separate charge. The drinks were designed around video-game themes, while the physical venue was intended to support casual play and conversation rather than operate solely as an arcade. This gave Mana Bar a hybrid identity spanning hospitality, gaming culture, and community entertainment. The first venue opened in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, on 20 March 2010. Fortitude Valley's established nightlife profile gave the business a location within a busy entertainment district. The opening event substantially exceeded the venue's reported capacity of 50 people: more than 100 visitors queued, and some reportedly waited up to three hours. The launch attracted considerable interest from specialist gaming and technology outlets, including Kotaku, Destructoid, Gizmodo, and Joystiq. Contemporary descriptions characterized Mana Bar as an unusual or pioneering Australian example of a gaming-focused cocktail venue, and similar venues were still relatively uncommon internationally. Mana Bar's relationship with the video-game industry became an important part of its operating model and public identity. Developers and publishers used the venue for promotional events, previews, and demonstrations. Games and game content reported as playable there before official release included BlazBlue, the Halo: Reach multiplayer beta, Just Cause 2, and Raskulls. These activities helped position the bar as more than a place to drink: it was also a venue where players could encounter upcoming releases and where companies could reach an engaged local gaming audience. The Brisbane operation's visibility encouraged the owners to consider a broader network. In August 2010, plans involving Sydney and Melbourne were reported, and the operators also discussed possible locations in the United States and Europe. The Melbourne bar eventually opened, but it closed in September 2013 after experiencing low patronage. Restricted trading hours were cited as a factor that further affected the location's performance. The supplied reference material does not confirm that the proposed Sydney or international locations opened. In May 2014, Morrigan Moore became Mana Bar's owner and general manager. The Brisbane venue continued operating for roughly another year. On 19 May 2015, the owners announced through the bar's Facebook page that it would cease trading on Sunday, 24 May. The announcement thanked the people who had supported the business and described the experience positively, but the available material does not provide detailed financial results or a fuller explanation for the closure. Mana Bar therefore remains a defunct Australian venue brand whose principal legacy is its early combination of themed cocktails, free console access, and video-game promotional programming.

• 2015

  Brisbane venue closes

  [1]Mana Baren.wikipedia.org

  The owners announced on 19 May that Mana Bar would cease trading on 24 May.

• 2014

  Ownership changes

  [1]Mana Baren.wikipedia.org

  Morrigan Moore became owner and general manager in May.

• 2013

  Melbourne location closes

  [1]Mana Baren.wikipedia.org

  The Melbourne bar closed in September, citing low patronage and the effect of restricted trading hours.

• 2010

  Brisbane venue opens

  [1]Mana Baren.wikipedia.org

  Mana Bar held its opening event on 20 March in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane.

• 2010

  Expansion plans reported

  [1]Mana Baren.wikipedia.org

  The operators discussed possible expansion to Sydney, Melbourne, the United States, and Europe.

• 2007

  Concept first developed

  [1]Mana Baren.wikipedia.org

  Guy Blomberg conceived the idea of combining alcohol and video games in a dedicated social venue after a house party in December.

A social nightlife venue combining cocktail-bar hospitality with video-game entertainment and gaming-community culture.

• Beverage · 2010

  Video-game-themed cocktails

  Cocktails formed the venue's principal branded hospitality offering. Mana Bar distinguished its drinks through video-game themes, aligning the beverage experience with the interests of its gaming-focused audience. The supplied sources do not provide a complete menu or identify individual cocktail names.

• Entertainment service · 2010

  Console gaming lounge

  Visitors could play current-generation video-game consoles free of charge while patronizing the bar. This service was central to Mana Bar's identity and differentiated it from a conventional cocktail venue or a standard arcade.

• Promotional event service · 2010

  Game previews and launch events

  Mana Bar hosted demonstrations and promotional activities connected with upcoming video games. Reported examples included BlazBlue, the Halo: Reach multiplayer beta, Just Cause 2, and Raskulls, giving the venue a role in connecting publishers and developers with local players.

• 2010Video-game launch and preview program

  Australia

  The venue worked with developers and publishers as a promotional location for game previews, launches, and beta access. Games reported as featured included BlazBlue, Halo: Reach, Just Cause 2, and Raskulls.

  Outcome. The activity strengthened Mana Bar's visibility among gaming audiences and helped establish it as a bridge between the game industry and players.

  Source

• 2015

  Close the remaining venueOther

  Background

  After the Melbourne closure, the Brisbane venue remained the brand's confirmed operating location.

  Action taken

  The owners announced on 19 May that the Brisbane bar would stop trading on 24 May 2015.

  Aftermath

  Mana Bar became a defunct brand. The available reference material does not state a detailed financial reason for the closure or identify a successor business.

  Source

• 2013

  Close the Melbourne locationOther

  Background

  The Melbourne bar experienced low patronage, with restricted trading hours identified as an additional operating constraint.

  Action taken

  The Melbourne location ceased operations in September.

  Aftermath

  The Brisbane venue continued operating until May 2015, while no further confirmed expansion is recorded in the supplied material.

  Source

• 2010

  Pursue multi-city and international expansionStrategy

  Background

  The Brisbane venue attracted substantial attention and the operators considered whether the concept could be replicated in other markets.

  Action taken

  Plans or proposals were reported for Sydney and Melbourne, with longer-term interest in the United States and Europe.

  Aftermath

  A Melbourne location operated but closed in 2013. The supplied sources do not confirm openings in Sydney, the United States, or Europe.

  Source

1. 1Mana Baren.wikipedia.org