After several decades under the captaincy of Tom Porter, the historic Moss Vale Hotel has been listed for sale.
The two-storey Hotel was the first licensed premise in the town. Established in 1850, sporting a thatched roof, a licence was issued to Martin Larkin in 1866.
It came at a time Moss Vale began to take off, bringing new opportunities and the new railway station in 1867, prompting the pub to change its name to the Terminus Hotel in 1869. It later spent time known as the Royal.
In 1936 a Clock tower was built in the heart of town in commemoration of WW1, which has become one of Moss Vale’s most popular features.
The long-standing pub, still occupying the same 1,521 sqm site, is commonly known as either the “Pink Pub” or the “Pub at the Clocktower”.
Immediately adjacent the Moss Vale train station, it is the only hotel within the retail and commercial precinct, surrounded by a Coles, IGA and two large council car parks.
It holds a midnight liquor licence and enjoys a balanced mix of trade across bar, food, gaming, wagering and retail liquor. The gaming operation counts 15 entitlements, the pub typically ranking around #550 on the Liquor & Gaming hierarchy.
Marketing literature reports annual revenues circa $5.2 million.
Compelling upside is cited by way of a reconfiguration of the rear of the building to increase the trading footprint, opening potential for an upmarket gaming room.
There are also 12 accommodation rooms upstairs, which are currently dormant but could be reactivated with minor capex.
Tom Porter has owned and operated the Pink Pub for the better part of 35 years, and looking to retirement is planning an exit from the industry.
This sale represents the first publicly offered Southern Highlands pub since 2016, coming amid increasing demand and limited supply for pubs on the fringe of metropolitan Sydney.
Moss Vale is a community of around 9,600 residents, inland from Shellharbour and Wollongong, around 120 kilometres south-west of the Sydney CBD.
It is seeing strong growth, with numerous residential land releases and state infrastructure projects.
“With only two pubs within the Moss Vale catchment and close to 10,000 residents, the Moss Vale Hotel presents with compelling macro investment fundamentals for hoteliers looking for a safe and secure business with compelling upside levers,” suggests Blake Edwards, marketing the Hotel with colleague Sam Handy.
The nearby Ashbourne master-planned community is set to deliver around 1,500 new dwellings, with the first stage slated for completion this year.
“By 2027 almost 5,000 new residents will be added to Moss Vale’s community through the Aoyuan International Ashbourne Precinct land release,” furthered Handy.
The freehold going concern of the Moss Vale Hotel is being sold via Expressions of Interest, closing Wednesday, 13 July.
