Merewether’s magnificent Beach Hotel has sold for the first time in its 120-year history as a freehold going concern to industry veteran Andrew Lazarus.
The Beach Hotel is found on a large hilltop block with panoramic views of Merewether Beach, three kilometres from the heart of Newcastle.
The current three-storey structure was built around 1939 by Tooth & Co, but there had been a pub on the site since the late 1890s. The diverse operation counts multiple bars, dining, function spaces, gaming, parking, and a top-floor residence.
It has become a generational hub for the area, hosting countless memories. Merewether Beach is also home to Australia’s largest celebration of surfing, Surfest Newcastle, bringing thousands of tourists each February.
Jim Bale took control of the operation from Tooths in the mid-70s, and the Bale family, which had previously operated pubs including Singleton’s Albion Hotel, subsequently acquired the freehold.
Bale family relative John Twohill and his wife subsequently took on the role of live-in managers, later buying into the freehold asset. The partnership continued for years until last month, when the families decided to put the re-stapled asset to market for the first time in its history.
The campaign through Deane Moore of Moore & Moore Real Estate, in conjunction with Mike Wheatley of Frank Knight, produced the anticipated level of interest for a pub where “the word iconic is the right term”, according to Moore.
After a major on-market campaign, the title has been taken by self-confessed coastal devotee Andrew Lazarus, continuing his presence in the area.
Lazarus bought the large-format Beaumont Exchange Hotel in 2014, and in late 2016 Shoal Bay’s Country Club Hotel, which later underwent an extensive $6.5 million makeover.
Due to take the wheel in March, Lazarus says only “cosmetic” changes are in the immediate future of the pub known locally as The Beaches, with a mandate to sustain what made it an institution, in its dining, live music and functions.
“My team and I have ideas about décor and functionality, but change should only be made after we completely understand our clientele.
“Our goal is to honour the elements that have made The Beaches such a quintessential part of the Newcastle landscape.”
Group director Peter Lazarus will work at the Beach overseeing day-to-day operations during the transition. Peter was instrumental in the transformation of the Shoal Bay Country Club.
“The Beaches has so many similar features and it will be an honour to guide such an iconic space into its next chapter.”
Capping a major run of proximate sales, recently counting pubs at Greenhills, Tenambit, Carrington, Largs, Wallsend and Curlewis, Moore says his jurisdiction has been hitting new heights.
“This year has seen unprecedented interest in the Newcastle-Hunter region by well-established hoteliers, as the area continues to be one of the best-value freehold going concern propositions in the country.”