Ottawa live music venue closes its doors

The Brass Monkey has shut down after more than 15 years in business due to financial troubles. CTV’s Stefan Keyes reports.

The Brass Monkey has closed its doors in Ottawa’s west end after providing a venue for live music and billiards for over 15 years.

Owner Scott Ruffo tells Newstalk 580 CFRA they closed the location on Greenbank Road last week.

“It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while,” Ruffo told 580 CFRA’s Ottawa at Work with Patricia Boal.

“Back in April, we did a bit of a restructuring and brought in a new partner. Things just haven’t come back to the way they were pre-COVID. It’s multi-faceted now.”

Ruffo said the “economic times are terrible right now,” and food and rent costs have increased for businesses.

“For us as a business, it was really hard when you need to hit a certain target every month, and we just weren’t doing it now.”

A “notice of termination” on the door of the Brass Monkey said the tenant owed $56,037 in rent to the landlord. Ruffo said the Brass Monkey was “behind on rent.”

The Brass Monkey was formerly a pool hall and has been a live music venue for the past 15 years.

In 2024, the Brass Monkey won the Capital Music Award for Live Music Venue of the Year.

Ruffo said a few planned concerts will be shifted to the Rainbow Bistro in the ByWard Market. Details on the concert changes will be announced at a later date.