Southern Highlands stalwart the Burrawang Village Hotel has been sold to a local who plans to make it more of a food and beverage destination.
Occupying a 3,000sqm lot on main drag Hoddle Street, the pub affectionately known by Burrawangans as simply The Wang was built in 1928, reminiscent of the Inter-war Old English style of architecture.
A focal point of the community, it utilises a large trading footprint incorporating a single service point public bar, commercial kitchen and bistro, beer garden and nine accommodation rooms.
The Wang enjoys limited competition, with the nearest hotel around 10 kilometres away, and the rooms find strong occupancy, aided by limited supply.
The business records around $43K weekly revenue across departments, trading from 11am every day although equipped with an early-opener 5am licence.
For the past eight years it has been operated by a consortium, comprising husband and wife Peter and Kate Dean, along with the proprietor of Sydney’s famous Lord Dudley Hotel, Jamie Couche. The group cite a collective desire to focus on existing hospitality interests, locally and in Sydney, as motivation for the sale.
They exit a lease in its second term, until 2027, with two further five-year options and annual three per cent rent review.
Burrawang is found around two hours south-west of the Sydney CBD, strategically central to Robertson, Moss Vale, Bowral and Mittagong, in an area characterised by rolling green hills and a tranquil atmosphere, quaint villages and historic attractions. It is popular with tourists and day trippers, and the pub attracts those seeking an authentic English countryside experience.
Taking the reins is an unnamed local investor who reportedly brings a strong pedigree in restaurants and already holds other hospitality accommodation interests in the region.
They have temporarily closed the pub for essential repairs, aiming to reopen in sections after executing plans for extensive renovation and refurbishment to reposition The Wang’s food and beverage offering. Hopes are high for consultation on the menu by former Icebergs head chef and culinary director, Alex Prichard.
A new fit-out will include a state-of-art-kitchen, and a new interior scheme heavily influenced by English countryside furniture and fabrics, featuring loads of teak from local purveyor Cotswold Furniture.
The regional operation is understood to have sold in line with price guidance, of $1 million.
The leasehold interest was put to market late 2024 through HTL Property’s Sam Handy and Blake Edwards. An extended settlement has now completed, following what was said to be a “fiercely competitive” campaign, bringing a sale just prior to Christmas.
“We marketed the hotel as a blank canvas ready for a more food and beverage focused hotelier, or restaurateur, to activate an elevated food and beverage proposition within one of the most picturesque pub settings in the country,” notes Handy.
