Could this trash be your treasure? Hard Rubbish owners are giving away their popular Preston bar for free

When word got out last week that Charlotte Tizzard, her brother James Tizzard and sister-in-law Katie Smith were giving away - rather than selling - Hard Rubbish, the Preston bar they launched on a shoestring six years ago, the response was heartening.

"We've had overwhelmingly positive feedback," says Charlotte Tizzard. "One of my regulars told me how nice it was to see such a positive story about hospitality."

When the trio first considered selling they went to a business broker and were told they might expect $90,000 for the business name and leasehold. "By the time he'd taken his cut and we paid all the fees, we would have made a little bit of money but it didn't sound that inspiring," says Tizzard.

So they did something that no normal business owners do. "Why don't we just give it away?" asked Tizzard. "We all felt really excited about that," she says. "This is very much a community place. People are passionate about what might happen to their local. This way, everyone can be part of the process and feel included and we can find the right people to carry on what we started."

Hard Rubbish Bar is a casual place for cocktails and craft beer on the border of Preston and Reservoir. "It's divey, a real locals' bar and quite a chill place," says Tizzard.

Indeed, a recent Google review found it somewhat too relaxed, complaining that one of the staff was wearing a bathrobe. "The hipster element was rather overwhelming," wrote Rawiri B. "[M]aybe dial it back [a] couple [of] notches, eh."

"We want the bar to flourish in the hands of the people we feel will value it the most."

The response from the owners was swift. "Aw that's Tristan's awesome tapestry coat!"

The ownership trio have had a ball running the bar but it feels like time for a handover. "We opened it when we moved to the area, thinking it would be a great way to meet a few people and we have made incredible friends," says Tizzard.

"It's been totally awesome but we're in our early 40s now, our families have expanded, the demographic of our bar has got a bit younger and we feel like the place needs a bit more youthful energy injected into it."

They're calling for submissions at givingawayhardo.com.au in a manifesto that outlines their reasons for gifting rather than selling. "F**k Capitalism" is one of them. "Because not everyone has $100K in the bank" is another.

"We didn't open the place to make a huge profit though I've managed to make a little living out of it," says Tizzard. "We will take proposals, maybe display them in the bar, maybe get people to vote, or even get people to come in and make a presentation.

"We want the bar to flourish in the hands of the people we feel will value it the most."

Current staff will play a big part in the decision. "We pay them award rates and super and we want you to too," says the manifesto.

Submissions close in mid October. "We will choose someone in November and they can take over in the New Year," says Tizzard. "I'm really looking forward to coming back as a customer."

She has broader dreams, too. "I hope other owners of hospo venues might think about doing this as well. They don't have to go down the traditional capitalist route. They could think about handing their venue on to someone young to give them a leg up."

To find out more and enter your submission, go to givingawayhardo.com.au.

670 Plenty Road, Preston, instagram.com/hardrubbish_bar/?hl=en