Pub Brokers & Advisory announce the successful sale of the Illawong Hotel of Evans Head to a formidable syndicate including Laundy Hotels / Sydney Collective (Fraser Short) / and Nick and Justine Tindall (nee Laundy). 

Listing agents Nick Butler and Steve Pursell managed the complex sales process, packaging up the existing leasehold / business with the freehold investment interest to offer the Hotel on a Freehold Going Concern Basis.

The Illawong Hotel is the only pub in the burgeoning coastal town of Evans Head. The art-deco building, set on a sprawling 2,200sqm footprint 30 mins drive from Ballina Airport / Byron Bay and directly opposite the largest waterfront caravan park on the eastern seaboard, services the town’s population year-round while having the scale to welcome the huge influx of visitors that quadruple the population in peak times.

The hotel enjoys strong revenues across all departments, with an even mix from bar, food and gaming. It currently ranks in the 600s with a modern fleet of 15 PMEs (8 in smoking solution). The 18 accommodation rooms (upstairs) are in excellent condition and enjoy high occupancy year-round. The attached retail store has enjoyed the post Covid boom that’s been reported across the industry.

With five years left on his term, outgoing leaseholder Daniel Simpson recognised the opportunity to package the business up with the building – “I’ve loved my time at the Illawong and have enjoyed overseeing the expansion of the business during my tenure. The town of Evans Head is booming, with residential and commercial developments set to boost population and activity. I wish the new owners all the best and look forward to seeing the next phase of the hotel’s evolution. I thank my staff for their hard work and support over the years as they have made the hotel what it is”.

The long-term freehold owners are intensely private and, while very happy with the result, have declined to comment.

When asked about his plans for the Illawong Hotel, Nick Tindall replied, "We think this is just a sensational coastal hotel in a town that’s already on a great trajectory. While we see potential for growth by unleashing the efficiencies of our network, we’re not going to make any massive changes to the hotel or its operation. Fraser Short and the amazing team at Sydney Collective have a great eye for detail, so adding a little of that polish will be all that the locals will notice. Justine and I are excited to be partnering with them, as well as her broader family”.

Nick Butler, selling agent, commented, "With the recent hysteria around north coast assets based on the short-term, Covid-related boom (often mis- reported), Steve Pursell and I being entrusted with the sale of the Illawong Hotel was a privilege. The hotel brings with it all of the fundamentals of a strong hospitality business and that’s what ultimately attracted the Laundy family and Fraser Short to it. Balancing the interests of a leaseholder and freehold owner was made far easier by their recognition that the whole was greater than the sum of the parts. It’s been an important factor for the owners, in making their decision to sell, that the hotel is transitioning to a family that appreciates how important the pub is to the town”.