LIGHTS BACK ON AT BEACONSFIELD

Twenty years ago, St Kilda’s historic Beaconsfield Hotel closed following the shocking death of former star cricketer David Hookes, and the subsequent backlash from the public. Now, owner Geoffrey Ogden, who runs several Western Australia venues with his family, has

QUANTACO LAUNCHES INTEGRATED DATA PLATFORM

Hospitality-based tech company Quantaco has this month released its new integrated platform for pubs and clubs. The platform is specifically designed for hospitality operators, offering to simplify tasks by connecting all the business’ essential tools into one centralised hub, accessed

VIRTICAL’S LAST PUB SOLD

The sun has set on pub operator Virtical’s portfolio, with a successful sale of Hotel Australasia to another hospitality developer. The picturesque heritage-listed Hotel is a landmark of Eden, on the NSW south coast, built in 1904, with 38 metres

DERBY DUO FINED OVER $100K

The owner of two pubs in the wild far northwest has dodged a bullet to stay in business, but copped over $100K in fines for what police allege were more than 2,700 breaches. An investigation by Western Australia's Liquor Commission

FAIR WORK FINES HOTEL EMPLOYERS OVER $100K

The Fair Work Ombudsman has issued fines and penalties totalling over $100K to the operators of Hotel Frangos and a café for underpayment of more than $320K to nearly 100 staff. The case came to light in mid-2023, when the

REDCAPE REVERSES WITH MULTIPLE ACQUISITIONS

MA Redcape Hotel Fund has reversed its run of divestments with purchase of three hotels in coveted southeast Queensland, to further its portfolio refresh and optimisation. The prior calendar year continued a shake-up of the Redcape stable that saw multiple

FBT PROPOSAL A ‘WIN’ FOR HOSPITALITY

The electioneering has begun and the Coalition has put forth proposal to allow small businesses to claim business-related meal and entertainment expenses, in a boon for hospitality. The proposal was announced this week by opposition leader Peter Dutton, suggesting a

COUNCIL PROCEEDS WITH HERITAGE HIT LIST

Last year the Inner West Council (IWC) of Sydney restirred a heritage hornet’s nest, furthering its attempt to preserve urban culture by forcing protections on old pubs under its purview. The Council’s proposal has now successfully amended planning controls, such

IRIS TAKES TWO FROM REDCAPE

The Redcape reshuffle peaked in December with sale of two of its big-ticket gaming hotels to Sam Arnaout’s Iris Capital. Transaction of the Cabramatta Hotel in Cabramatta and El Cortez in Canley Heights is reported at more than $180 million.

LIQUOR & GAMING’S GAME PLAN FOR 2025

Liquor & Gaming in NSW has published its Regulatory Priorities for the first half of 2025, aiming to keep “both industry and the broader community” informed about what it sees as the key issues. The regulator plans to focus on