The Tankerville Hotel, a hulking edifice on the corner of Johnston and Nicholson Streets in Fitzroy will soon be for sale. Real estate agents Cropley Commercial told Broadsheet it expects the property to go for in excess of $20 million at auction. Even for a pub in a prime inner-city location that’s a lot of cash, but bear in mind the venue includes a 24-hour licence for gaming (pokies), not to mention its USPs (unique selling points): sticky carpets and a grim smoking pen.

On a strip where Bar Open and The Old Bar close at 3am, the pub is considered an unavoidable purgatory for those willing to wait until 7am – when Brunswick Street cafes start to open – for Bloody Marys.

Hospitality professionals frequenting Facebook group the Melbourne Bartender Exchange are calling for Revolver to buy the pub, while regulars are considering an application to have the exquisitely sculpted Atlas adorning the building’s roof heritage listed.