Pawn again: the bar that sells everything

Two blokes walk into a bar.

The first beckons the bartender and says, "I'll have a scotch on the rocks, dash of soda and that albino stuffed kangaroo over there, thanks."

The second man looks over the drinks menu and then says, "I'll take a Patron, a beer chaser and I kinda like your waistcoat, barkeep. I'll have that, too."

The bartender considers the two men for a moment, nods, and begins to make the drinks.

This isn't the beginning of a terribly bad joke, rather a conversation one might very likely overhear in a darkened room nestled above the boutiques of Chapel Street, in what has emerged as one of Melbourne's most unique and popular bars.

Pawn & Co is the brainchild of Big Dog Creative executive and Channel V personalities Josh Lefers and Stephen Wools who have partnered with Craig Kellermann, Andrew Travers and Steve and Keti Thomas of St Kilda's 29th Apartment.

The unique concept is at once stupendously simple and incredibly difficult to digest.

Everything is for sale.

Everything.

And holy mother of Mojito, there is a lot for sale.

The cocktail glasses, food plates, vintage light fittings, artworks, propaganda posters, bar stools, couches, grand piano, mirrors, 1920s lawn mower, barber's leather chair, a rooster, the staff's pants and T-shirts, the oversized vintage bellows turned side-tables, or the aforementioned nightspot's mascot – an antique albino kangaroo from Phillip Island.

The venue itself, for the right price, is on the market (so the owners say).

The fit-out is New Orleans speak-easy and full to overflowing with handpicked vintage and antique curios that form the backdrop and take centre stage in this unusual watering hole.

Lefers is clearly delighted with his venue, which opened its doors in January, and frankly, who wouldn't be?

"I've always had this idea of having a bar where you could buy anything and everything, filled with things you would find in an old school pawn shop, and when we found this space we were thrilled," he says.

Wary the concept could morph into a gimmick with a fast-expiring shelf life, Lefers and his business partners have worked hard to ensure Pawn & Co takes its place among Melbourne's bars as a long-time contender.

The bar staff are polished and long-time hospitality professionals, to the last.

Their relaxed attitude is something of a must, given a customer might take a liking to a bartender's jeans or bowtie at any moment, and, as per company policy, be required to hand the garment over, no questions asked.

It doesn't happen often, according to Lefers, but the bar has held regular auctions for charity that have seen bartenders lose their shirts in the name of philanthropy.

Lefers, a former Channel V personality, says he prefers clients to discover the central theme unilaterally rather than pushing the retail aspect on unsuspecting, thirsty members of the public.

"Word of mouth, self-discovery and the theme naturally dawning on customers is how we like to play it," he says.

Lefers is loud, likeable and very polished – he easily ducks our question designed to catch him out, namely whether the ATM is for sale.

"Sure is, just some nights it costs more than others depending on how much cash is left in it," he laughs.

Surprisingly there has been less five-finger discounting than one might expect.

"We did have our rooster taken at one stage," Lefers says. "But, happily, he made his way back through a complex network of friends, who knew he was missing and one person told another he was someplace and so on."

Food comes in the form of sliders and meatballs in a create-your-own-adventure type dinner where the customer chooses the flavour of the balls, the sauce, and the accompaniments.

The shortish wine list is carefully curated, and the cocktail list is sectioned into three parts: Absinthe, signature, and the classics.

The Arsenic and Old Lace takes Plymouth dry gin, Noilly Prat and creme de violette, builds over ice, and stirs with the traditional Jade 1901 absinthe.

A customer is less likely to worry about the price of the stuffed kangaroo ($3200) after one or three of these concoctions and more likely to put a bid in for the whole shebang.

Lefers and his business partners have another enterprise in the pipeline that follows the retail and hospitality hybrid theme, with a general store, restaurant and bar shaping up at a city venue yet to be announced.

Pawn & Co opens Thursday to Sunday, with doors open from 7pm to 7am.