The Phoenix has risen from the ashes more than once in the pub's 25 years inside the iconic Sydney building in Canberra. It's survived fire, wild weather, even eviction.
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But now the owners of the popular music venue warn it could be facing its final curtain.
On Wednesday night, the Phoenix launched a last-ditch fundraising push to save the East Row bar, revealing details of a long-running battle with its property manager.
Phoenix publican Netti Vonthethoff believes the original venue has been virtually unusable since the East Row fire tore through the Sydney building in February 2014, but said its property manager, LJ Hooker's commercial branch in Canberra, had continued to charge the pub thousands in rent.
In November last year, the realtor sent the Phoenix a letter demanding an outstanding sum of more than $200,000.
While the bar is busy organising a fundraiser in the coming weeks to help pay the money, it has also sought legal advice on the matter.
Ms Vonthethoff said they had already poured more than $250,000 into restoring the original venue after it was hit by a storm not long after the fire.
Before the blaze, the Phoenix had been a thriving "den of music and hedonism unequalled in Canberra", on track to pull in record profit after expanding into a space next door.
It estimates it has since lost about $5 million in revenue, having been forced to move the entire bar into that smaller, secondary space.
"It's a horror story, it's been one obstacle after another," Ms Vonthethoff said.
"This place is an institution, it's historic. It should be cared for; it shouldn't be a struggle to keep the doors open."
The bar said it faced further headaches in 2015 when contractors hired by LJ Hooker to repair storm damage "completely gutted the premises ... without our consultation".
"They removed our keg room, historical bar, ceiling, kitchen sink ... everything," a post on the Phoenix's Facebook page said.
The repairs also left the bar without a ceiling, a sealed floor, a bar, plumbing, access ramps, toilets up to code, "sufficient electrics" and lighting or airconditioning, the post said.
Instead, LJ Hooker allegedly told the Phoenix to restore the site itself, or else its lease wouldn't be renewed.
LJ Hooker Commercial Canberra declined to comment on any of the claims made by the Phoenix.
Since announcing the bar's future was "uncertain", Ms Vonthethoff said it had been flooded with support.
A Facebook post urging patrons to support the Phoenix by heading down for a drink was still just hours old when Canberrans packed the venue near to capacity on Wednesday night.
Staff were expecting a similarly strong turn out on Thursday.
"People love this place," Ms Vonthethoff said.
"There's not a lot of live music venues left in Canberra but the great thing about the Phoenix is it's managed to survive.
"We've got plans, we're going to try to keep it alive."
In March 2017, regulars of the bar were dismayed to learn the Phoenix had closed for almost a week due to fire hazard concerns during restoration efforts.
On Thursday morning, LJ Hooker's Canberra City branch said it had been flooded with negative reviews referencing the Phoenix situation overnight, despite the bar being managed by a different branch of the realtor.
