Hakfoort Group has bought the resurrected Country Club Hotel, settling in with plans and a prompt name change in tune with the precinct.
Located on Cunningham Street in the heart of Dalby’s town centre, on a prominent and expansive 2,073sqm lot, the Hotel is an historic landmark of the community.
Built 1912, it was originally named Arcadia, before a change to the Country Club Hotel in 1935.
In 2015, it suffered a devastating fire and stood dormant for some time. Mid-2017 it was auctioned off by Peter Power, selling for $810K to local business operators and first-time publicans, Keith and Anne Beer.
The couple executed an extensive renovation, taking 12 months, before reopening toward the end of 2018. The revised structure counts modern upgrades, providing a main bar, with TAB and Keno, cocktail bar, bistro dining area and footpath dining, gaming room with 20 EGMs and approval to operate up to 29 machines, additional dining/function area, beer garden, and a four-bedroom manager’s residence.
Despite the revival, the County Club was one of many to fail to reopen after the pandemic closed all pubs in March 2020, and in November that year a deal was finalised on the vacant freehold for $2.5 million to a ‘new consortium of owners from Brisbane and Sydney’.
Albert Hakfoort’s Queensland-based Hakfoort Group operates a portfolio of pubs in the state, such as the Bowen Hotel, Red Earth and Isa hotels in Mt isa, and the Lord Stanley Hotel in Brisbane.
The Group has commenced its repositioning strategy, immediately implementing a name change to the Dalby Hotel.
“An exciting period lies ahead with the new owner already underway with plans to renovate and reposition the offering,” suggests Savills’ Leon Alaban, who managed the off-market Offers to Purchase sale campaign.
Dalby is a town of around 13K people in Queensland’s Western Downs region, around 200 kilometres northwest of Brisbane. It is a key agricultural and industrial hub, within the fertile Darling Downs plains.
Other recent sales in the area have included Rhino Group buying Waratah’s Royal at 99 at Roma, and in Toowoomba both Hallmark selling the Spotted Cow to Ben White, and Simon Thompson selling the Downs Hotel to MPG Hotels.
Given Hakfoort’s experience and capital expenditure plans, agents believe the new Dalby Hotel is “well-positioned for future growth” in the town.
“Renowned for its welcoming atmosphere and quality offerings, it holds a strong reputation among both locals and visitors,” furthers Alaban.
“This established standing underscores its importance as a cornerstone of the town’s social and hospitality scene, ensuring consistent patronage and a solid foundation for continued success.”
