LGBTQ icon the Imperial Hotel of Erskineville is being sold by industry icons Fraser Short and AHA President Scott Leach.
The Imperial came to fame after appearing in Australian drag movie legend The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
But new owners in 2015 struggled to manage the influx of patrons to the late-trading pub in the wake of the Sydney CBD’s infamous ‘lockout’ laws, which denied entry after 1:30am. After several breaches were found by the regulator, mid-2015 the heaving inner west hotel closed indefinitely.
In August that year industry identity Fraser Short and local publican and AHA principal Scott Leach teamed to buy the troubled nightspot, for around $6.5 million.
The new keepers of the Impy went on to invest another circa $6 million on restoration, reducing noise issues by configuring the basement for live music, initiating regular drag shows, and opening the “Drag & Dine” restaurant, unveiling the grand overhaul in time for Mardi Gras 2018.
More recently Short has been divesting some of his hospitality interests, he says to allow him to spend more time with his family. In February he sold his share of a collaboration with Laundy Hotels, including Northies at Cronulla and Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel, to Laundy.
In March he sold The Morrison in the Sydney CBD to former Merivale and Sydney Collective CEO Brett Sergeant, in a partnership with James Wicks.
Short has confirmed the Imperial is on the market, but while he would not disclose sale price they were seeking, he told the SMH the pub would be listed “on the market shortly”.
PubTIC was unable to make contact with Leach prior to publication.
It is understood key players have already been approached about the asset, including the locally-based keeper of several other LGBTQ venues, the Kospetas family’s Universal Hotels.
Agents were contacted regarding an imminent listing, but further information was not provided at this stage.
“With regard off-market transactions, HTL always prefers not to make comment until such time as a transaction has concluded,” replied HTL MD Andrew Jolliffe.
“Suffice to say, this is an active time in the market.”
