AUSTRALIAN
AUSTRALIA’S NATIONAL HOTEL INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
Vol. 38 No. 3 - April 2021
IN THIS ISSUE: SPORTS OFFERS · PUB DINING · PUB LEADERS SUMMIT
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CONTENTS & ED’S NOTE
Contents
WE ENCOURAGE RESPONSIBLE DRINKING
P30
SPECIAL FEATURES
vegan options are increasing in
10 POS and Op Tech: CommBank’s Daily
presence and popularity in pubs.
IQ will give you a better picture of your
24 Food trucks: A supplementary mobile
patrons post-COVID. 12 Review: The 2021 Pub Leaders Summit Ed’s Pick
program encouraged operators to
proposition can have a variety of benefits for a pub’s food offer. 28 Brand Talks: Optus Sport is kicking goals
revisit every aspect of their business
and partnering with venues with its
with fresh eyes.
football broadcasts.
14 Live sport: Foxtel and MatchPint execs
sit down for a chat on how the app is helping venues market their
REGULARS 6 News: What’s happening in pubs across
sporting fixtures. 16 Property and Investment: Why are pub
Australia. 30 Design & Build: The General Gordon
vendors currently showing a preference for off-market transactions?
Hotel rises out of the ashes. 34 Tales from the Top: Rob Comiskey reflects
20 Plant-based dishes: Mock meat and
on a decade at Eatons Hill Hotel.
Editor’s Note
PUBLISHED BY: Food and Beverage Media Pty Ltd 41 Bridge Road GLEBE NSW Australia 2037 Tel: 02 9660 2113 Fax: 02 9660 4419 PUBLISHER: Paul Wootton EDITOR: Vanessa Cavasinni vcavasinni@intermedia.com.au JOURNALIST: Dan Hughes dhughes@intermedia.com.au NATIONAL SALES MANAGER: Jason Wild Tel: 02 8586 6213 jwild@intermedia.com.au GENERAL MANAGER SALES – LIQUOR & HOSPITALITY GROUP: Shane T. Williams GROUP ART DIRECTOR – LIQUOR AND HOSPITALITY: Kea Thorburn kthorburn@intermedia.com.au
IT’S A strange and heady
on Monday 22 March, one of the first large-
PRODUCTION MANAGER: Jacqui Cooper jacqui@intermedia.com.au
time throughout the
scale industry events for publicans in quite
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
hotel industry. Recovery
some time. The appetite for knowledge and
seems to be happening
networking on the day was clearly evident, and
at various trajectories
attendees were focused on reviewing every
depending on your
assumption about their business pre-pandemic
location and operations: regional and suburban
in order to find an evolved way forward. You’ll
pubs are booming as they take advantage of
find more on that on page 12, and we’ll be
domestic tourism and working-from-home
bringing you more content from the Summit
set-ups respectively, while CBD venues are
throughout the year. In the meantime, I hope
still struggling with the lack of corporates and
you are finding success with new ways of
the total absence of international tourists. On
operating within your pubs.
the whole, I get the sense that operators are
Cheers,
cautiously optimistic, but the end of JobKeeper certainly signals the end of meaningful support
Vanessa Cavasinni
for a sector that has been brought to its knees
P: 02 8586 6201
in the past year. Despite that, operators
E: vcavasinni@intermedia.com.au
continue to look for new ways to increase patronage and revenue within their pubs. On that note, Australian Hotelier was pleased to host the 2021 Pub Leaders Summit
4 | Australian Hotelier
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DISCLAIMER: This publication is published by Food and Beverage Media Pty Ltd (the “Publisher”). Materials in this publication have been created by a variety of different entities and, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher accepts no liability for materials created by others. All materials should be considered protected by Australian and international intellectual property laws. Unless you are authorised by law or the copyright owner to do so, you may not copy any of the materials. The mention of a product or service, person or company in this publication does not indicate the Publisher’s endorsement. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Publisher, its agents, company officers or employees. Any use of the information contained in this publication is at the sole risk of the person using that information. The user should make independent enquiries as to the accuracy of the information before relying on that information. All express or implied terms, conditions, warranties, statements, assurances and representations in relation to the Publisher, its publications and its services are expressly excluded save for those conditions and warranties which must be implied under the laws of any State of Australia or the provisions of Division 2 of Part V of the Trade Practices Act 1974 and any statutory modification or re-enactment thereof. To the extent permitted by law, the Publisher will not be liable for any damages including special, exemplary, punitive or consequential damages (including but not limited to economic loss or loss of profit or revenue or loss of opportunity) or indirect loss or damage of any kind arising in contract, tort or otherwise, even if advised of the possibility of such loss of profits or damages. While we use our best endeavours to ensure accuracy of the materials we create, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher excludes all liability for loss resulting from any inaccuracies or false or misleading statements that may appear in this publication. Copyright © 2021 - Food and Beverage Media Pty Ltd
2021
SAVE THE DATE 27 OCTOBER 2021
In the
news
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN PUBS ACROSS AUSTRALIA
HOSPITALITY STAFF LEVELS AT CRITICAL LOW
working holiday makers and skilled visa holders was at
The Australian Hotels Association (AHA) and Tourism
critical levels.
Accommodation Australia (TAA) have teamed up in the hopes
Ferguson said while the first preference is always to hire
of preventing hospitality staff shortages that could cripple the
Australian workers in hotels, it is proving impossible in many
industry’s chance at recovery.
areas, particularly in regional Australia.
The two hospitality association giants pleaded to the Senate
“Our number one first priority is to hire Australian workers –
Select Committee on Temporary Migration to declare the industry
there’s no doubt about that, it always will be. But the reality is
as a ‘critical sector’ after an AHA survey revealed 73 per cent of
the local workers wanting to do jobs like chefs and front-line staff
respondents stated their business was suffering
simply aren’t there in many areas and we need to
because of a shortage of skilled workers.
turn to overseas workers to fill the gap,” he said.
The survey also uncovered that more than 66
“There are huge financial incentives for us to
per cent of respondents were also in dire need
hire local – and they remain in place. To bring in
of chefs. AHA CEO Stephen Ferguson and TAA
an overseas worker costs a business anything from
head Michael Johnson called for cooks and chefs
An AHA survey
to be added to the Priority Migration Skilled
found that
66%
Occupation List immediately. They also put forward several key changes that need to be made to ensure the industry’s survival. These include hospitality (including accommodation) to be listed as a critical sector for the purposes of the subclass 408 Temporary
of respondents were in dire need of chefs within their venues.
Activity Visa; international students working
$10,000 to $25,000 when you factor in visa fees, skills assessments, migration lawyers etc and you have to wait for three months and then repeat it all again in two or four years. “It’s not something entered into lightly but the fact is many hospitality businesses have no other option – the Australian workers willing and available to do the job simply aren’t there to meet the local demand.”
in hospitality to be permitted to work more than 40 hours per
Johnson added the Government imposed international border
fortnight; Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visa holders working
closures and the exodus of WHM after the pandemic hit was having
in tourism to be able to work for the same employer for more
a huge impact on an accommodation workforce which was already
than six months in rural and remote areas of Australia; and
struggling to fill positions – especially in the regions as business
enable pathways for permanency for temporary skilled workers
started to pick up.
currently in Australia. It was noted by AHA and TAA that many hotels in regional areas are falling short of chefs and cooks, while in capitals like
“Across NSW alone, TAA estimates a labour shortage in accommodation hotels of more than 3200 workers right now,” he said.
Sydney, some major hotels do not have enough housekeeping
“To be clear, we need to find ways and means of getting
staff to clean rooms daily if tourism suddenly increased. They
international students and WHM back into Australia to fill
warned the committee that the lack of international students,
positions which can’t be filled locally.”
6 | Australian Hotelier
NEWS
Restrictions ease across Victoria, NSW and SA The Victorian, New South Wales and South Australian Governments announced in late March that COVID-19 restrictions will be easing in each state. Victoria’s Department of Health announced that several COVID restrictions in certain venues across the state would be further eased. Since Friday 26 March density limits in casinos, karaoke venues and nightclubs in Victoria changed from one person per four square metres to one person per two square metres, while capacity at indoor non-seated entertainment venues increased to 75 per cent capacity with a limit of 1000 people per space. Dancefloors will move to the same density limit of the venue and the 50 patron cap will also be removed. The Victorian Government has also said businesses will need to use the Service Victoria QR code system, unless their own QR system, which can be linked to food and beverage ordering, is
Restrictions on capacities and dancefloors have been eased across all three states
delivering data to the Government in real-time. Meanwhile in New South Wales, several
However, we have to remember that hotels in NSW
restrictions eased from Monday 29 March, with
do remain at 50 per cent of capacity – that hasn’t
no restriction on dancing at pubs and nightclubs,
changed so numbers on our premises stay exactly
and all venues moving to the one person per two
the same – we really need that to change to help
sqm rule (venues will be allowed at least 25 people
struggling pubs, especially in regional areas.”
before the two sqm rule applies).
SA Premier Steven Marshall also joined in on the
Premier Berejiklian also emphasised that
easing of restrictions, with density requirements
businesses and other organisations must continue
increasing from one person per two sqm to three
to ensure they keep accurate records of all
people per 4sqm, equivalent to 75 per cent. That
attendances, including through QR Codes, to
change took place on Wednesday 31 March.
enable fast contact tracing in the event of any
Restrictions on dancing were also removed except
community transmission.
for venues that are subject to a COVID Management
AHA NSW Director of Liquor and Policing John
Plan (Nightclubs and venues with over 1,000
Green welcomed the announcement but called
people), in which case the three per four sqm rule
on the Government to keep doing more to help
will apply to dance floors.
struggling pubs.
“This decision comes off the back of lengthy
“The return of dancing to venues from the end
lobbying by the AHA SA with South Australia
of the month is something many patrons will
Police. The AHA SA welcomes this decision which
welcome,” Green said.
will provide more viable outcomes for business,
“Many venues will also welcome the lifting of
increase employment opportunities and support
the cap on weddings and other functions – this will
the SA economy,” AHA SA announced on its
make a big difference to larger hotels in particular.
Facebook page.
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April 2021 | 7
NEWS
Merivale buys first venue outside of Sydney Merivale has acquired tiki bar The Quarterdeck in Narooma, in its first venture outside of Sydney’s metropolitan area. Merivale CEO Justin Hemmes said choosing the venue was a no-brainer as he has a close affinity with Narooma. He will receive the keys to the venue shortly and has not announced plans to alter any trade operations. “Narooma has become my second home and the backdrop to so many of my happiest memories with my family. I think it is one of the most beautiful spots in the world, with a unique landscape, crystal clear waters and an amazing community of people who call it home,” explained Hemmes. The Quarterdeck
Merivale CEO Justin Hemmes is a long-time visitor to Narooma
“It has been an absolute privilege to spend so much time here over the past six years and I’m excited to now join the local business community. One of the silver linings to come out of the last year is a heightened appreciation for our own backyard, an excitement to explore our spectacular country and its coastline. We are so lucky to call Australia home.” Set on the shores of Forsters Bay, The Quarterdeck has been an institution in the Eurobodalla community for decades. Originally an oyster grower’s shed, it has been operating as a tiki bar for the last two decades. JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group’s Kate McDonald brokered the deal for Merivale and was pleased to facilitate the group’s first regional acquisition. “Congratulations to Merivale on their first acquisition outside of Sydney. We can’t wait to see the team thrive in this rare over-water gem, in a town where seal and ray sightings are an everyday occurrence. The locals and tourists of Narooma, and the surrounding Sapphire Coast, are in for a real treat.”
Another coastal gem sold JLL has also brokered another significant regional deal recently, with the sale of NSW Central Coast venue The Beachcomber Hotel. After operating under a single owner for 25 years, the beachfront pub and hospitality venue sold for $20 million to Oscars Hotels, which is set to relaunch the hotel as a new beach club and resort venue. Affectionately known as the “Beachie”, the hotel sits between Budgewoi and Tuggerah Lakes, with close to 100m in lake frontage and its own private pier. The venue will soon relaunch as a four-star, 80room resort and boasts multiple indoor and outdoor bars, restaurants, six function rooms, gaming and bottle shop facilities. “After a long period of custodianship, the facility is ripe for evolution and the transaction evidences the continued flight to hospitality assets counting waterfront attributes foremost amongst their list of unique investment qualities,” stated JLL’s John Musca, who brokered the deal. This is the latest purchase from Oscars Hotels led by the Gravanis brothers, which adds to its impressive portfolio of about 30 leading Australian hospitality venues including The Como Hotel, The Belvedere Hotel and Towradgi Beach Hotel. A spokesperson for Oscars Hotels said it hopes to offer “a fully integrated hospitality experience for locals and a hip weekend getaway for those seeking good vibes and lakeside relaxation.”
8 | Australian Hotelier
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Yoon says MakiMoto moved from using NetBank
remember the décor. The founder has a
to CommBiz when a business banker introduced
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them to a merchant service terminal expert. That
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[customers]
modern fit-out that differentiates it from its peers.
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MakiMoto launched in 2013 and has now grown
heat maps, customer demographics and new and
return, how
to seven venues dotted across New South Wales. General manager Kristy Yoon says the group’s
repeat customer spending behaviour. “My background is in a larger corporate where
“How many
many are new – that type of
experience during the pandemic of the past year
we had access to lots of data. In small business
information will
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help us evolve
industry. They had to add home delivery to their
says Yoon. “The lack of insights can prove to be a
service offering when customers couldn’t dine in
bit difficult in terms of making decisions. When he
those existing
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talked to us about CommBiz and showed us the
of income than it normally would.
information we could get I got quite excited.”
Home delivery ultimately proved to be quite
Yoon says she found the data about their customers
an expensive option once the external delivery
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companies took their cut.
at other times, particularly when they opened new
Being able to access insights about their customers helped MakiMoto understand their business better during that time, particularly the Daily IQ tool.
10 | Australian Hotelier
venues or looked at staff incentive programs. She says it helped them understand customer demographics and behaviour – such as how far
businesses and try to maximise the potential for them.” Kristy Yoon, GM, MakiMoto
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“Pre-coronavirus I would have said
Yoon says coming from a corporate
we would have looked at the data to
background meant she could see the
understand new customers better and
benefit of data but says that many small
where we might expand. But post we
business owners may not appreciate
have shifted focus on trying to maximise
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the businesses that we do have. How
use it.
many [customers] return, how many are
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might not get from your POS (point-of-
says Yoon.
sale) system.”
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PRO17615_CBBUS_Tech Q3_PRESS_HP_135x185_v03ih.indd 1
| 11 April 2021 16/3/21
5:22 pm
PLS REVIEW
Fresh eyes for 2021
Keynote presenter Michael McQueen
One theme dominated the 2021 Pub Leaders Summit – the need to scrutinise your business and challenge every assumption to ensure that recovery is as smooth and swift as possible.
ON A rainy Monday morning in Sydney, more than 250 industry operators and stakeholders braved the weather to network and hear from their peers at the 2021 Pub Leaders Summit. The excitement and eagerness in the room was palpable, as gathering in such numbers felt like a real novelty. While seeing peers in person was a real cause for excitement, many attendees were eager to get down to business. The program kicked off with keynote speaker Michael McQueen, an award-winning presenter and trend forecaster who has shared the stage with the likes of Bill Gates and Apple’s Steve Wozniak. McQueen spoke at the Pub Leaders Summit about The Post-Crisis Kickstart and identified three key long-term trends that publicans would have to address in their businesses: the acceleration of automation; the post-millennial patron; and the empowered consumer. But the underlying message of the keynote was the need to use the crisis we’ve endured as an opportunity to revisit every assumption and tradition about a business’ operation and look at them with fresh eyes. It was a point that was revisited throughout the day’s proceedings. Operators like Marcello Colosimo, Chris Cheung and Steven Speed all spoke throughout the day of how they assessed every line of their business throughout the crisis, to ensure that how their venues were operating now was as lean as possible. Colosimo put it succinctly: “We’re looking internally to make capital improvements, cut off the fat and go back to basics.”
NEW CUSTOMERS, NEW WAYS OF WORKING Another session that got attendees talking was the presentation from me&u CEO Stevan Premutico, who shared changes in consumer spending
12 | Australian Hotelier
NSW’s 24 Hour Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues
(l-r): Steven Speed, Jen Russell and Marcello Colosimo
behaviours he had observed through orders being placed on the app. Premutico showed that while beer sales remained steady, cocktail sales were up a staggering 400 per cent, as customers wanted to order the kinds of things they weren’t able to recreate as easily at home. He also said that consumers are spending more if presented with the option to purchase food and beverage online, and that this kind of tech would not replace front-of-house staff, but rather redefine their roles to something more akin to hosts and ambience creators rather than waitstaff. “Consumer trends indicate there is a change to front-ofhouse operations that can’t be ignored. Bartenders are not only taking orders, but are immersed with the customer, making connections at the table.” In the entertainment space, Solotel’s Ed Loveday, Music + Booze Company’s Matt Rule and Muso’s Jeremiah Siemianow made the case that venues really have to pay attention to their entertainment offering in the fight against the house party. The panel described the various innovative ways they’ve been adapting their entertainment offers to increase dwell time and spend in venues: from light and music installations to multiple-set gigs in the one
250 operators attended the Summit
night from emerging artists to a sustained focus on trivia and karaoke for the mid-week visit. Incoming 24-Hour Economy Commissioner for the NSW State Government Michael Rodrigues also implored the attendees to start a dialogue with him so that they could improve the cities nightlife, and to get out of the headspace of thinking that a night out should be a $300 spend per person. He argued that if you can create a good experience for a person for $50 you would in fact encourage repeat visitation that would lead to a far higher cumulative spend. These are but a few of the insights shared on what was a day full of information, research and shared experiences. We’ll bring you more in depth coverage of the Pub Leaders Summit content throughout the year.
Attendees loved the opportunity to network once more
The F&B panel emphasised the need to review every line item to make sure it was necessary Our thanks to all sponsors, including platinum sponsor Intrust Super
April 2021 | 13
Matchpint Australia’s Jono Richards (left) and Foxtel’s Greg Bohlsen
ADVERTORIAL
A round with Foxtel and MatchPint Foxtel recently announced their partnership with MatchPint, and as part of that relationship are gifting all their venue customers with a two-year subscription to the service to help them promote sport in their venues.
14 | Australian Hotelier
GREG BOHLSEN, Foxtel National Manager –
meant a shortage on time and resource to effectively
Licensed Venues, and Jono Richards, Head of
promote their venue. But the initial move of having
MatchPint Australia, sat down over a pint to answer
sports like the NRL and AFL played behind closed
some of the frequently asked questions that they’re
doors, and even now with the restrictions on stadium
getting from publicans about MatchPint.
attendance, mean that venues have become the new
Why was this partnership formed?
community stadiums. So we know the demand is there but we wanted to ensure venues had effective
Jono: Foxtel and MatchPint have a shared belief that
tools to communicate which events they were
live sport is best enjoyed when surrounded by friends.
showing so that when their customers go looking for
Venues provide the perfect opportunity for fans to
information, they can find it easily.
soak up the atmosphere and watch the game while having a beer with their mates. Greg: MatchPint were already well established
Greg: If anything, the pandemic highlighted that it was more important than ever to launch the partnership and give venues the tools to help them
in over 6,000 venues in the UK and Ireland and
pull the crowds back in. We know from years of
were looking to launch in Australia. We compared
working with venues that the likes of the NRL, AFL
MatchPint with a few others already established
and Main Event fights can really pack out a venue
here in Australia and felt their platform was more in
and MatchPint provides a way to help promote
line with what we wanted to offer to our customers.
those sporting fixtures more easily.
The partnership was launched during COVID, how did that affect things?
How will it help fans come to my venue?
Jono: The pandemic has changed the hospitality
Greg: The tools on MatchPint will help venues to
industry. When venues were emerging from
create posters and social media posts to promote the
lockdown, they needed to try to stay lean but still
fixtures they’ll be showing in their venue. There’s also
give their customers a great experience. The extra
the option to set up a link between MatchPint and the
focus on COVID safety coupled with fewer staff
venue’s website so the fixtures will automatically pull
ADVERTORIAL
Did you know?
through to show on their ‘What’s On’ page. On the other side, sports fans can download the MatchPint app and it provides them with a venue finder. They
With MatchPint
can search for venues in their local area that are
you can:
showing the sporting fixtures they want to watch.
- Customise your
They’ll get a list of all the local venues that are showing that fixture together with information
own posters and
about the venue, for example, how many screens
social media posts
they have, what fixtures they’re showing, if they
with the marketing
have a beer garden, whether the commentary is on
asset creator
for the game and what drinks offers are available.
- Set up a direct feed
This is a really powerful tool to connect venues with
from MatchPint to
new customers. Jono: We [MatchPint] invest in search so if a
The MatchPint app
fan Googles where to watch Richmond or the
your website so you can market fixtures across
Rabbitohs, MatchPint will come up on the first
For instance, we’ve seen through data that Australia
page of results. Customers clicking on our page will
is the third highest consumer of NBA League Pass (a
then find a list of the nearest venues showing the
service which allows fans to stream NBA at home)
fixture they’ve searched for. This opens venues up
behind the USA and China. So we can see that fans
to new local customers without having to invest in
have an appetite for US Sports but not many venues
their own search strategy. We also allow users to rate
are advertising it. Many potential customers will not
venues in terms of the sporting experience. Nowhere
assume that venues have these games on – the venue
else will venues get this rating – current Google
has to tell them if they’re showing it. What we often
ratings incorporate all aspects of a venue from food
find is that venues are really good at marketing the
to service to overall experience. But on MatchPint,
big events like the Grand Final or the Melbourne Cup
- Get access to
the rating will be based on how likely a customer is to
but then there are big gaps in their marketing plan for
great brand
return to the venue to watch sport.
weekly sport. MatchPint plugs that gap and enables
promotions that
venues to know exactly what locals are wanting to
can be activated
watch so they can tailor what to show in their venue.
in your venue to
How do venues know what sport to promote? venues which fixtures are most in demand based on
We have our own marketing team, why do we need MatchPint?
local search traffic through the MatchPint platform.
Jono: MatchPint gives venues the tools to market
Jono: We have an opportunity index which shows
more sport to more fans quicker than they’re currently doing it. Venues don’t need to search for what’s on or try to find team logos and images to update websites or social media, it’s all there. The result is more highquality content, updated websites and the opportunity to market to a new audience (MatchPint’s community of fans). All of this in one-tenth of the time it takes most venues to market sport now.
Foxtel Business customers can sign up for MatchPint by visiting www.foxtelmatchpint.com. au and submitting the form. For group venues wishing to sign up all of their venues, email matchpint@foxtel.com.au with first name, last name, phone number, email address and the list of venues to be signed up.
multiple sites with just a few clicks* - Measure the success of your activity with realtime data and insights you can act upon
encourage sports fans to keep coming back - Be part of a venue finder that ensures local fans searching for the nearest venues showing live sport will see your venue and what it has to offer.
*For fixtures to automatically display on your website, an XML feed or widget will need to be set up which MatchPint can help with.
April 2021 | 15
PROPERTY AND INVESTMENT
On or off?
More off-market pub sales are being announced than ever, so why has the preference for a more discreet and targeted sales campaign emerged?
AFTER A rough start to last year, pub sales started to kick into gear again in mid-2020 as operators and investors began to regain faith in the economy after lockdowns. Since then, it seems like off-market transactions have dominated hotel brokerage. So far in 2021, Gallagher Hotels have sold two Sydney pubs in off-market campaigns, Iris Capital won out in a discreet campaign for the Ivanhoe Hotel, and the Catalfamo family moved on from St Kilda’s Grosvenor Hotel – just to
Gallagher Hotels sold the Union Hotel in an off-market transaction to Good Beer Company
name a few. Regional pub owners have also preferred off-market campaigns,
purchaser value and price positions. Off-
public approach to marketing to ensure an
with Oscars Hotels recently acquiring
market, less transparent, less publicised
acceptable outcome is achieved.”
Toukley’s Beachcomber Hotel and The
processes can deliver exceptional outcomes
Sydney Collective pouncing on the
as a result,” Musca concludes.
Lennox Hotel in Byron Bay.
One minor issue with off-market campaigns that target a particular pool of potential buyers and investors is that
Why off-market?
after a sale is announced, some operators
campaigns? John Musca, group managing
Privacy seems to be a key driver of the
can feel like they’ve missed out on an
director of JLL Hotels & Hospitality, argues
preference for a more discreet campaign,
opportunity they would have loved to
that in fact they’ve always been prevalent
with publicans not wanting to let too many
made an offer on. So how can those
for pub transactions of a certain value.
people know about the status of their
operators ensure they’re made aware
So why the swing to off-market
“Actually off-market transactions
business, and not wanting to spook venue
of future opportunities? It’s all about
have always played a major role in the
staff about the uncertainty of their futures
approaching brokers and letting them
hotel industry when compared to other
within the hotel. It allows vendors to follow
know what you’re in the market for and
real estate asset classes and at least
ideal commercial opportunities without
what you’re willing to pay.
60 per cent of transactions conducted
causing nervousness inside the business.
above $15 million price points over the
It’s also a solid strategy when there has
to the most active and widely respected
past decade have been executed in this
been interest in the asset for some time.
brokers in the marketplace and ensure
“Historically an off-market process
that they understand your acquisition
manner. It’s more so that transaction
“The simplest thing is to keep speaking
volumes have increased substantially
is most useful when you know there
strategy and asset brief, and are clearly
over the past 12 months so their
already exists latent purchaser demand
aware of your purchasing process, ability to
frequency seems conspicuous.
for the asset and there will be interest
transact in a short timeframe and complete
and engagement immediately upon
commitment to purchasing,” states Musca.
“In saying this, one factor that has led to off-market implementations has been the
presentation of the opportunity to
significant difference in investment approach
acquire,” explains Musca.
by the varied capital and buyer profiles
“Assets where you feel competitive buyer
“Brokers like to deal with parties that can move in a timely manner, that meets vendors requirements with the minimal
during a period of tumultuous earnings
tension is not necessarily underwritten
transaction risk, and discreetly, when it
fluctuations, which results in divergent
initially, typically necessitate a more
comes off market sales.”
16 | Australian Hotelier
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SCOTT PARKER
JOHN MUSCA
BEN MCDONALD
Vice President +61 449 289 845
Senior Executive +61 411 657 949
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AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER
Foodservice Inspiration For Your Pub
, E T S A T ALL OF AT E M NONE THE
THE
Serving suggestion
The Harvest Gourmet burger patty and (right inset) being used within burgers at Laundy Hotels venues
DIETARY CONSIDERATIONS
Plantbased
to table
Changing a menu to feature more meat-free products may be daunting at first, but plant-based items are becoming more profitable and attractive to customers if implemented successfully. Dan Hughes reports.
AUSTRALIA HAS been on an upward-
meat entirely. The move from
trending health cleanse for more than
proactive publicans as a result is
five years now. In this time, according
drawing in new clientele, deepening
to Google Trends, Australia has been
a commitment to sustainability and
one of the top countries to have
maximising profitability.
searched “veganism”.
It starts with the product
This trend is part of a wider movement for Australians looking to
With the health trend in mind, Nestlé
scale back their meat consumption
Professional’s new Harvest Gourmet
and are willing to do so on a night out
range is stepping up to the challenge.
to the pub. Thanks to the hard work
It has created new products to fit on
and innovation of chefs and food
the pub menu and allow for a quick
solution experts in Australia, healthy
and fluid transition from meat-based
options and dietary requirements are
products in the kitchen.
being met in kind.
The Australian food producer
Several Australian venues are not
released the Harvest Burger in
just including one or two plant-
February this year and it was an
based items on their menu but are
instant success. Partnering with
creating an entirely separate menu
Grabox Kitchens burger brand
or even going as far as to remove
Wattaburrger, more than 6000
Serving suggestion
DIETARY CONSIDERATIONS
burgers were sold in just three weeks. The new product launch was
media and the praise we receive has
perfect timing for the consumer
incentivised us to continually up our
health trend according to Nestlé
game and reinvigorate the menu.
Professional’s assistant brand
Our vegan menus now make up more
manager Eloise Roberts.
than 25 per cent of our meal trade at
“Consumers are looking for ways
WHY USE MIMIC MEAT? “Vegetarians and vegans aren’t the only ones looking for plant-based proteins.
“They have supported us on social
The Kent Hotel – humorous as this is
to vary their consumption. Whether
the most ‘traditional’ Aussie pub in
it’s changing their meat eating habits
the group.”
for health or other reasons. Diners are actively looking for varied options.” “This trend began in fast food, but
Sustainability: a key marketing tool
Remember that one in four Australians
these product trends are growing in
Consumers are not only looking for
are reducing or excluding meat from their
different channels around the world.
plant-based items on a menu but are
diet,” states Eloise Roberts, Assistant
For pubs, this creates an exciting
actively searching for businesses that
Brand Manager, Nestlé Professional.
opportunity. In a post pandemic
identify as eco-friendly and sustainable.
context, attracting customers back
With that in mind, Carringbush Hotel
and driving footfall will of course be
co-owner Liam Matthews and his team
imperative to returning to normality,”
made the leap to a completely meat-
stated Roberts.
free pub while undergoing a year-long
“The key question for pubs is, will their menus be ready to respond to
renovation in 2017. “We have a very distinct crowd as a
the growing number of flexitarians
lot of people still expect meat at the
walking through their doors?”
pub, but our crowd is growing fast. Climate change is a hot topic that
High praise from new clientele
more and more people are starting to
Answering that call has been venue
limiting their meat intake more and
management group Hunt Hospitality,
more which is where we step in and
who have generated menus across
show them how amazing meat-free
their hotels that are acknowledged,
food can be,” Matthews explained.
respected and highly praised from the vegan community.
The vegan poke bowl at The Cornish Arms
understand so we find that people are
The Melbourne pub currently shares its menu between vegetarian
“The vegan menus have brought in
and vegan food. While Matthews
a whole new crowd and clientele that
acknowledges it was a risk to not
would not have come into our venues.
serve any meat at a pub, the transition
The most exciting part for us is the
was successful by maintaining a
support we receive from the ‘vegan
pub-style offering and has been well
community’ as we call it,” managing
received by those who acknowledge
director Stephen Hunt said.
sustainable practices.
100%
of consumers ENJOYED
A BURGER MADE WITH
HARVEST GOURMET
* In-store trial: Nestlé conducted survey n=113 burger tested made with bun, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, onion and Harvest Gourmet patty (9th October 2020).
®*
DIETARY CONSIDERATIONS
Carringbush Hotel’s menu is completely plant-based
The “meat” pie and arancini at Carringbush Hotel
Customers still crave the classics There’s no doubt when it comes to plant-based menus, burgers and pub classics still reign supreme. “Our most popular item would have to be our vegan pub-style burgers and vegan southern fried chicken burger. Our vegan customers love that we do not stick with the ‘mushroom style burgers’. Our substitute proteins are a real hit from vegan duck stir fries to vegan schnitties,” suggested Hunt Hospitality managing director Stephen Hunt.
“While it may be controversial for us not to serve
south-eastern Asian and Mediterranean cuisine with
traditional pub-style menu, so we have burgers,
dishes like edamame falafel served on betel leaves
pasta, chips and pies etc. Our kitchen has just been
and XO eggplant gyros,” Cooney explained.
able to swap out the meat for other ingredients and the result is really convincing,” he said. “We started with a very specific crowd as we
“We’re not really big on mock meat, it’s more about using vegetables in new and fun ways. There are so many vegetables out there and I think we’re
heavily advertised the meat-free menu and I think
only just learning the different ways we can use
it scared a lot of people off. I am not sure what they
them to create great dishes.”
expected meat-free pub food to look like but I know that a lot of people have been surprised. So even now
Is it profitable?
in 2021 we are still building on the customer base.”
Yes – in more ways than one. Foster recommends
Another Melbourne pub offering plant-based
keeping a fluid menu pricing strategy, suggesting
consumers a taste of a classic pub feed is The
publicans should adjust prices to stay in
Cornish Arms. After quickly acknowledging the
competition with the growing plant-based
health trend about six years ago, The Cornish Arms
restaurant competition.
overhauled its menu to offer ‘the classics’ in a plant-based style. Manager Benjamin Foster said his kitchen uses a variety of plant-based ingredients throughout the
“There is a good profit margin but sometimes you must inflate the margins if you wish to add some of the new and exciting vegan products hitting the market,” he said.
menu with most of the vegan options being made
Matthews also asserted one of the most costly
from pea, soy-based and coconut-based proteins,
items on a menu is meat. Cutting it out of a kitchen
with seitan also playing a strong role. Since doing so,
not only considerably helps your profit margin but
Foster has also noticed a growth to his patronage.
also offers other financial benefits.
“Almost all our dishes mimic meat and cheese
“Meat is expensive so there is that, but we have
with only a select few focusing on vegetables and
our margins that we stick to so I guess the customer
grains as we have found our customer base prefers
is the winner here. The big savings for us is in the
this. The style of food has increased the patronage
cleaning and maintenance, we spend less on staff
as what we do is a little different,” Foster explained.
costs and chemicals as we just don’t have that grease
Offering a successful alternative to mock-meat is
that comes with cooking meat,” Matthews added.
Sydney’s Yulli’s Brews. The Sydney brewery opened
Whether it’s bringing in a new crowd, offering
its doors in 2018 with an entirely meat-free menu. At
more options for different dietary requirements,
the centre of the inspiration for Yulli’s menu, is co-
looking to cut operational costs or joining the trend
owner Karl Cooney, who has eaten as a vegetarian
to push environmental sustainability, including an
for two decades and seven years as a vegan.
attractive and wealth of plant-based options is an
“Our menu is a bistro style as the venue is a
22 | Australian Hotelier
brewery that features a lot of live music. We fuse
meat, what we have been able to do is stick to a
essential for a venue’s future success.
, E T S A T ALL OF EAT M NONE THE
THE
HIGH
IN
FIBRE Serving suggestion
IN HIGH
N PROTEI
We sell a lot of vegetarian burgers in Collingwood using HARVEST GOURMET® and the feedback is immense, to the point where people have been coming in asking can we get those again.
Jimmy Hurlston
Founder of Jimmy’s Burgers and Owner of Easey’s
NO COMPROMISE ON TASTE OR TEXTURE MADE FOR MEAT-EATERS, SUITABLE FOR VEGANS
Visit www.nestleprofessional.com.au/harvest-gourmet to find out more or contact your local Nestlé Professional Sales Representative on 1800 20 30 50.
FOOD TRUCKS
Divide and
conquer Publicans have identified a simple, yet effective method of taking the pressure off a busy kitchen, providing a unique dining experience and offering food service despite undergoing kitchen renovations. Dan Hughes investigates.
continue down the road to recovery is to
Keeping service going during renovations
offer something new. As far as kitchens
Sydney’s recently re-launched Illinois Hotel
go, there isn’t much flexibility to enlarge
took the opportunity to indulge its patrons with
or overhaul without significant renovation.
a completely new eating experience. Sitting in
However, several pubs around Australia
the beer garden from Wednesday to Sunday
have set out to create a flexible and exciting
each week is the Fat Belly Jack’s food truck
way for customers to dine-in or a way to
run by Sydney burger chain Down N’ Out.
provide a unique dining experience while
Rather than the traditional pub meals,
THE NEXT step for publicans as they
taking on upgrades of their own. Adding food trucks and installing multiple
patrons are able to fill themselves on Nashville fried chicken, burgers and bar
kitchens is one trend customers have been
snacks like dumpster fries, cheeseburger
quick to accept and search for. Not only are
spring rolls and jalapeno poppers.
these menu additions increasing patronage,
“We’ve got a bit of a bird theme going at the
but they are also taking pressure off the main
Illinois. From our new flamingo logo to the
kitchen, are easy to operate and offer relief
Nashville fried chicken. Hopefully, we’ll have
to new venues that are in the process of
flocks of locals coming in to enjoy it,” Illinois
kitchen upgrades.
Hotel publican Bill Young joked.
24 | Australian Hotelier
The Airstream at Headlands Hotel
FOOD TRUCKS
“We’ll be opening a full kitchen and dining room later in the year so this was the perfect solution to cater to the local area in the meantime. The Down N’ Out burger guys are proven operators and their product is always tasty and on-point trend wise. “ Young added for other publicans looking to implement a similar idea, that it’s important to provide something new, local and fun. He said a food truck is ideal as its operators provide the cooking, while pub staff simply do the cleaning up.
Taking pressure off the kitchen Taking a similar approach is Headlands Hotel Austinmer Beach with its food truck, The Airstream. Complementing the Brasserie and Bar, which specialises in seasonal fresh food menu items, the food truck offers customers sliders and pizza. It is also fitted with cider taps featuring Darkes Cider, whose orchard is located about 20 minutes away from the hotel. The food truck has been an ideal choice for general manager Andrew Biggs, who offers the repurposed 1968 Airstream Sovereign campervan for meals from Friday to Sunday. Not only does it serve locals and overnight guests, but also lends itself to private functions, weddings, conferences and special events. Biggs said the popularity of Headlands on weekends and holiday periods was becoming too much for the Brasserie kitchen to handle. In the short term, it attempted many pop-up food options but was in the market for something more substantial and permanent to take the “stress off the kitchen”. “The Airstream idea has been used before and we thought it would not only Dishes from the Fat Belly Jacks food truck at Illinois Hotel
complement the Brasserie but would add a whole new feature to the hotel which it certainly has, it is a great conversation piece too,” Biggs explained. “The Airstream, as well as our other pop-ups add considerably to our business both in terms of extra revenue and quickness of service. Wait times from the small kitchen are an issue in busy times so the quick offerings are always appreciated. The Airstream as mentioned has also been a talking point and generates its own little crowd.” While The Airstream currently offers sliders, pizza and local ciders, it took some experimentation from Biggs before he found the perfect dining experience and menu. “We started with the dumpling bar and then changed over to sliders and ciders to offer a bit more variety and we have now added the pizzas from our new woodfired pizza oven next to the Airstream. Pop-ups need to be changed up every now and then to keep them fresh and in the patrons’ minds to come and try something different.” With the food truck being completely run internally by staff it gives the opportunity to maximise profits in its cost-based analysis. “All our food offerings are run by venue staff and we wouldn’t have it any other way. The Airstream revenue certainly outweighs the costs of extra staffing as well as providing greater customer satisfaction with ease of ordering and quicker food options. You still need to watch your costs and if it is quiet then you can close it down pretty quickly.” Additionally, Biggs recommends if publicans are experiencing the same through traffic as Headlands, to consider adding additional food experiences. “If you have the volume of patrons to support the extra offerings, I highly recommend the idea. It gives the patrons variety, quick food options and gives the venue a great promotional tool.”
April 2021 | 25
FOOD TRUCKS
Single cuisine offerings: a thing of the past In a bid to offer a unique dining experience from a food truck, the Gold Coast’s The Collective offers five kitchen options to order from. This unique dining experience provides customers the chance to enjoy a range of menu items including Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Greek and classic American diner style. Customers are also encouraged to order food for a sharing-style experience and use digital menus to streamline the process and provide a safe environment for the COVID-conscious consumer. Director Craig Shearer said after seeing similar success in a former venue, acquiring The Collective has been a complete win, despite early troubles from the pandemic. “We had recently built and launched Riverland Brisbane which was a similar concept and heard some great things about The Collective in Palm Beach. I loved the venue and concept from the moment I walked in,
The Collective’s beer garden is surrounded by five discrete kitchens
and after the sale of Riverland to Australian Venue Co in 2019, set about acquiring the business. The five-kitchen offer provides a huge choice for our customers and ensures there is something for everyone.” Shearer said since reopening post-COVID lockdown, the business’ dining experience has received tremendous support from its customer base and is a much-loved local for many people of the Gold Coast.
“The Airstream, as well as our other pop-ups add considerably to our business both in terms of extra revenue and quickness of service.” Andrew Biggs, Headlands Hotel
“We have been overwhelmed by the response. We regularly trade at capacity and have seen strong consistent revenue growth since reopening last year. I think if anything, COVID has reignited people’s passion for eating out and being together. Taking away some of the simple things in life helped us reaffirm what is important.” He said while the business model is challenging because of its high service and high cost, publicans looking to invest in a multi-tiered dining experience need to ensure “you scale to make it a viable enterprise.” Consumers are well and truly flocking back to their local in droves, but whether this becomes a one-off or a weekly routine in 2021 is entirely up to the publican. It will be those who strive to add something the consumer has never seen or wouldn’t expect that will do well. Having innovative ideas like adding food trucks or increasing kitchen and cuisine options is a novel strategy for the publicans most keen on taking the dining experience to the next level. Not only does it increase a pub’s menu and choices for customers, support local vendors and provide local jobs, but it helps deliver meals faster as capacity limits continue to increase.
26 | Australian Hotelier
Pizza from The Airstream at Headlands Hotel
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BRAND TALKS
Scott Davoren is leading the commercial
Kicking goals with Optus Sport’s football coverage As football’s popularity continues to grow among Australians, venues can capitalise on Optus Sport’s considerable coverage of the sport to complement an established live sport offering.
venue/public broadcast arm for Optus Sport and is transforming it from the ground up. His focus is to continue to drive growth via strong relationships with venues, forming key partnerships and leveraging global events such as Euro 2020 (now being held in 2021 due to COVID). It is one of the-largest and most competitive football events in the world and is exclusive to Optus Sport in June and July this year. “Since 2016 Optus Sport has built one of the world’s premier football viewing experiences for consumers, we now want to take that experience and help venues build out a compelling football experience for their patrons. As a fan of sport, I don’t think there’s a better way of watching live sport
FOOTBALL – more commonly known as
for pubs and their patrons alike.
than in a venue with a group of friends or a
soccer in Australia – is the world’s most
With a broad gamut of live sport
popular sport, and has a large following
coverage an essential offering for a
the experience we want to help venues build
nation-wide. It is particularly popular at
significant majority of pubs, Optus Sport’s
with Optus Sport,” stated Davoren.
the grassroots level in Australia, and has
football selections make for an excellent
created an avid group of soccer fans who
complement to any pub’s sporting schedule.
to COVID) is a great opportunity to try out
love following the professional leagues
Due to its broadcast times and flexible
Optus Sport and see how it can help you
including the Premier League, widely
commercials, including Optus Sport in
grow your football-loving patronage and
regarded as the best in the world.
your live sports package can broaden your
engage even more with local sports fans.
Research from GfK Australia in 2015 showed that there are at least five million football fans in Australia, with 29 per
venue’s appeal and attract a wider range of punter to your pub.
clubs at least once a month. As the sports’
Working together with Optus Sport
popularity has grown quite a bit since
Optus Sport is transforming how it works
then, it’s safe to assume so will those fan
with venues – not just in growing its venue
numbers and their willingness to watch
base but how it actually engages with venues
football outside of the home.
that broadcast its channels. A current focus
cent opting to watch the sport in pubs or
Optus Sport has the broadcast rights
is assisting pubs in becoming local hotspots
to football’s most popular competitions,
for football and forming relationships
tournaments and players with exclusive
with local Premier League fan clubs and
live rights to the Premier League, Euro
grassroots football teams. For example,
2020 and selected Barclays FA Women’s
venues can build a following and promote
Super League matches, and live rights to
themselves as the local home of Liverpool or
selected J-League matches and a host of
Manchester United – while also backing the
international matches – making it a win-win
Sunday football club around the corner.
28 | Australian Hotelier
bunch of other passionate fans, and that is
Euro 2020 (now being held in 2021 due
Reach out to Optus Sport to start a discussion on how it can work with your venue at https://sport. optus.com.au/venues or by emailing OptusSportVenueEnquiries@optus.com.au
A huge selection of matches From July 2020 through to July 2021 alone, Optus Sport broadcasts more than 1180 football matches across
several different leagues including the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, the J League and more. There’s plenty of football to keep the fans happy!
DESIGN & BUILD
F&B is a new focus of the General Gordon Hotel
The courtyard John (left) and Dean Feros of JDA Hotels
Out of the ashes
JDA Hotels was well into a renovation of the General Gordon Hotel when a fire on site razed most of the pub. Determined to find a silver lining, the group began again, creating an even more inclusive pub almost from scratch. JDA HOTELS purchased the General Gordon Hotel in inner-west Sydney in 2017, after noting its excellent location and huge potential for growth. It was located in a demographic that traditionally had strong gaming and public bar trade, but was also on the cusp of an area being gentrified, so the potential to grow the F&B and functions side of the business was significant. It’s also situated directly opposite the Sydenham train station, which has become one of the busiest in Sydney. There was plenty of upside to be had. In 2018 the group began works on a major renovation of the pub to widen its demographic appeal.
30 | Australian Hotelier
The bar fronts are made out of charred timber from the 2018 fire
“We wanted to give the pub a broader
meeting and discussed the insurance
“But the positives I thought of back then
dimension and demographic. It was
claim as the place was burning down. It
have eventuated and it’s a really good
traditionally a very strong public bar type
was a surreal situation.”
hotel. We were restricted in what we could
of clientele. It had quite a good gaming
Eventually it was uncovered that a few
patronage as well, but didn’t really have
sparks from some welding taking place on
was there due to heritage aspects, but
that F&B aspect to it that we quite like in
the site had landed on polystyrene waffle
bigger and better than what it was going to
our portfolio to balance everything out.
pods being stored for a slab extending the
be. And it includes eight fully appointed
That was really the focus, to give it that
pub’s bistro and courtyard area. The fire
accommodation rooms upstairs with
dimension,” stated CEO John Feros.
quickly spread before it could be brought
ensuites, which wasn’t going to be a part
under control. Thankfully no one was
of the original refurbishment works.”
Everything was on track with the
build – we had to essentially rebuild what
renovation until July 2018, when a fire
hurt, but it was a major blow for everyone
razed the building, leaving nothing but the
involved. Feros described the situation
BROADENING THE APPEAL
front facade.
simply as “devastating”.
Much of the design of the new General
While everyone was overcome with the
Gordon Hotel is all about bringing in a
STARTING AGAIN
terrible loss of the pub, Feros quickly
wider range of demographics into the pub
On 30 July 2018, Feros received a call to
tried to focus on the positive – they
– while still ensuring there are spaces from
alert him that the General Gordon Hotel
would just have to rebuild the pub from
its pre-fire loyal patronage.
was on fire. He was in Sydney’s south at the
scratch, meaning it would be brand
“We always had a good tradie/shift-
time, and raced over to inspect the damage.
new. It would mean they could also
worker type patronage, but now the hotel
The fire was still raging by the time he got
include extra additions to the plans, like
appeals to a much wider demographic. The
there, but it was clear that not much was left
accommodation rooms.
9-5 office worker, and plenty of families
of the building, with the roof and most of the external walls having collapsed.
“I was trying to think of the positives – at least we’ll get to build a brand new hotel
now frequent the pub,” states Feros. “And we’ve still been able to maintain
“I raced down there and the fire was
and the insurance money will cover it. As it’s
the offering that the previous hotel had.
well under way. I called the insurance
turned out, it’s been a really difficult process
We’ve been able to be loyal to that part
broker then and there and he was there
to get the insurance sorted out. It has been,
of the business, to the people who used
within 20 minutes and we had our
but [the payout] hasn’t covered everything.
to come for the public bar and the sports
April 2021 | 31
DESIGN & BUILD
bar. They’ve come back to the hotel
There are also some very eclectic
quite seamlessly and they feel really
elements throughout the hotel
comfortable, but we’ve been able to
to give it some interest. Acoustic
subtly give it that new feel that also
panels on the ceiling of the bistro
appeals to the wider demographic.”
have been covered by inlaid timber
JDA Hotels has also identified
panelling, while in the courtyard a
a real need of its local community
pergola feeling has been recreated
and been able to build some repeat
with something a little more
business out of it. Homes in the area
sculptural above the guests. There’s
are quite small, meaning there’s not
also a mural painted on one of the
a lot of room for entertaining groups
back walls of the outdoor space.
of guests. With the new design,
the pub have also been included
functions and group dining bookings
throughout, including charred wood
have really boomed, as the local
from the wreckage of the blaze used
community finds a space in which
as bar fronts, engraved text on the
they can entertain family and friends.
timber panelling in the sports bar
That mix of traditional and modern
dotting the walls of the bistro. “We tried to include references
appeal. The public and sports bars
has been so interesting – from
use dark timbers and panelling
having been run by female licensees
to ensure a very traditional look
collectively for over 55 years, to the
throughout the space, while the
fire. There was a lot to build on,”
bistro and courtyard are much
explains Harris. Between the traditional and
Timber flooring is used in some
modern aspects of the pub, it
of the bistro space, but patterned
has been eagerly welcomed as
in a traditional parquetry style to
a community hub for locals. The
blend old and new. Similarly, the
courtyard and bistro have been
courtyard uses a traditional mosaic
doing a roaring trade for families
tile, but in an updated pattern.
and group bookings since reopening at the end of February, while the
Architects in collaboration with
old patronage has returned in force
the JDA Hotels team, and interior
to the public and sports bar. “The reopening signifies a fresh
point of the design was to create
and positive start for The General
something that would endure the
Gordon, and one that JDA Hotels
test of time, rather than focusing on
is incredibly honoured to be behind
what is currently fashionable.
given the pub’s rich history and iconic
“If you look at the project I don’t think you could see any particular
standpoint within the community.” It’s been a long and disastrous road
trends in there. So we were really
to get here, but the General Gordon
trying to make it a timeless space in
Hotel is back to start the next positive
all the areas.”
chapter of its storied history.
32 | Australian Hotelier
John Feros, JDA Hotels
uncovered by heritage consultants
to the history of the building which
designer Ruth Harris says the main
It was a surreal situation.
history, as well as photography
pub – both in terms of design and
The design was created by AVA
claim as the place was burning down.
outlining major events in the pub’s
aspects is evident throughout the
lighter and fresher in their appeal.
our meeting and discussed the insurance
References to the history of
and particularly in the bistro area,
SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW
I called the insurance broker… and we had
Accommodation ready for travellers International travel might be off the cards for another 12 months and interstate travel is still viewed as patchy, but the eight new accommodation rooms are well-appointed and ready for guests as soon as travel really kicks off again. John Feros tried out the accommodation himself on the night of the hotel opening and was pleasantly surprised – particularly by the acoustics of the room. “You could not hear the planes going overhead, you couldn’t hear the trains or the traffic on the main road. You also couldn’t hear the people in the hotel underneath, and it was really busy the first night we opened, so the noise from that was quite limited. So it works really well.” A few people have stayed and given the accommodation the thumbs up. As restrictions lift, the hotel is expecting to charge $150-180 a night, so the group can’t wait until that side of the business can really get underway.
61 2 9660 8299 paulkellydesign.com.au
Ruse Bar and Brasserie Parramatta
TALES FROM THE TOP
Entertainment giant celebrates decade of success
Comiskey Group director Rob Comiskey reminisced on the highlights and successes of the last decade as Eatons Hill Hotel marks its tenth birthday this month.
Rob Comiskey Director Comiskey Group
IN 2010, Comiskey Group set out to create a hotel
international acts. You just couldn’t fathom it at
and pub for all Australians to enjoy.
the time we opened. It’s just a bit surreal. When
Within the last decade the hotel has become
you look back it seems like a flash, but then you
well-known for its entertainment offering, housing
see how much we have achieved and how much
some of the biggest names in music. International
we have grown over that time and it becomes a
acts such as Prince, Ice Cube, Tyga, Rita Ora,
great legacy over 10 years. One that we’re looking
Khalid, Jessy J, Good Charlotte, and Post Malone
forward to building on going forward.”
have all taken the stage at Eatons Hill. “Our ultimate success was achieved by our
In 2017 and 2018 the hotel took another leap
success today, I certainly didn’t do it all, we’ve got
forward to finishing the $45m complex, opening a
a great team behind us. They’re dynamic and very
90-room, 4.5 star hotel on the property as well as a
experienced and we all worked towards a common
shopping village that includes a supermarket, bottle
goal,” Comiskey reflected.
shop, pharmacy, hairdresser, barber, café and more.
Once the mega-pub was finished, it housed
“The shopping centre launch has gone really
7500 sqm internally and three hectares of outdoor
well, we’ve got a Woolworths and about 25 shops
entertainment area, making it one of the largest hotels
all together. Between the hotel, accommodation,
in the southern hemisphere according to Comiskey.
the pub, and the shopping centre, there are some
“It has achieved more than we could imagine in our wildest dreams. We have now won Best Entertainment Venue in Queensland for the QHA
really good synergies that tie together. And I think it works extraordinarily with how we designed it.”
awards nine times and will be in the Hall of Fame
SUPPORTING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
for the third time this year which as far as I know,
While Eatons Hill Hotel has become known for its
has never been done before. We also won Best
international entertainment, Comiskey believes at
Entertainment Venue at the National AHA Awards in
its heart it is a local business that has contributed
2018 which is great,” he added.
to the prominence and success of the community.
This month it celebrates a decade since opening
“Our entertainment is only one facet of our
and will host a small party for family and friends
business. We have extremely strong ties back into
before opening the hotel to a big party to thank
the community. We do a lot of sponsorship for
everyone for their support.
the local sporting teams, hosting functions to help
REFLECTING ON THE UNFATHOMABLE Comiskey told Australian Hotelier some of his fondest memories were achieving entertainment heights he never thought possible.
34 | Australian Hotelier
A SHOPPING VILLAGE FIT FOR A HOTEL
collaborative effort. We must be proud in our
them raise money. We also have a local council that supports us and recognises we are special and draw people to the region.” Having achieved so much at the pub in just one decade, patrons and industry peers are no doubt
“Just looking back on it I think I never would
excited to see what Eatons Hill Hotel has in store
have imagined we would host so many incredible
for the greater community over the next 10 years.