Custodian of the Collingwood talisman Robert Burns Hotel, Gerry Nass, has put out the sale shingle on the pub as he reaches three decades at the wheel and a post-pandemic turning point.
Nass bought the leasehold interest at the RBH late 2018 from Colonial Leisure Group, which had it operating predominantly as a Spanish restaurant.
Aiming to re-establish the 161-year-old pub as a local drinking hole, Nass set about reappointing its missing back of house elements, and installed many that would be expected by pub patrons, increasing the taps to 14 and vamping up the beer garden.
Being Collingwood, he wanted to retain a certain ‘unpolished’ look and says it was like putting the old girl “in a new dress” replete with new or reupholstered furniture, outdoor heating, and TVs for the footy.
It has also become a dedicated Collingwood Football Club safehouse, including a regulars footy-tipping comp, and when the black & whites win Gerry rings an antique school bar over the bar and shouts everyone a beer.
The new tap array includes what they dub ‘The Collingwood Six’, featuring a half-dozen local breweries of Yarra city.
The pub sports a central, island bar servicing the front public areas, a chef’s kitchen connecting the bistro and beer garden at the rear, a private dining area, function spaces, and additional function/dining space on the first floor.
Nass currently has an application in with Council to renovate upstairs, along with a potential extension of hours and patron numbers.
Like the majority of operators, he was somewhat blindsided by the pandemic shutdown, and potentially wasting an elevated amount of food and beer ordered for Melbourne Food Festival events, due to take place the week pubs closed.
Unwilling to see so much go to waste, the RBH re-opened with takeaway and delivery, and while it wasn’t a big earner Nass felt it kept the brand in people’s minds and hearts.
“We had a reasonably successful home delivery and takeout model, but beyond that, the PR from it has improved our standing in the community and we’re doing better than ever.
“People are very particular about where they are going, choosing wisely and going to places where food is good.”
Despite being open only five days a week, he reports selling 750 chicken parmas in the past week, up from 650 the week before. Takeaway 1-litre ‘squealers’ of beer have also become immensely popular.
Marketing literature reports weekly revenue consistently north of $30k “and climbing”, coming through a strong mix of food (42 per cent) and beverage (58 per cent).
Faced with the decision to either invest or divest with blue sky for an incoming operator, Nass says while he doesn’t need to sell it might be time for a change.
“The pub’s firing at the moment. In this time of reflection, maybe it’s time to move on.”
He has engaged CBRE Hotels’ Mat George and Scott Callow to market the leasehold asset, showing 17 years tenure remaining and a full MRR in Q4 of 2022.
“Suburban hotels are about to undergo a significant resurgence,” suggests George. “The Hotel is in a high-quality location, with great accessibility, large volumes of residential development and foot flow pedestrian traffic in the immediate area.
“It is one of Melbourne’s inner suburban landmark food and beverage pubs.”
The leasehold interest of the Robert Burns Hotel is being sold via Private Treaty.
