Mapped: 45 pubs and hotels for sale in South Australia right now

If you’ve ever fancied yourself as a publican, happy hour may have just started, with over 45 pubs and hotels for sale in SA right now. SEE THE MAP

From watching a man ride into their bottle shop drive-though on a horse to staging a race on exercise bikes outside the pub, publican life has been anything but boring for Jim and Liz Clark.

The couple own and run Totness Inn Hotel in Mount Pleasant, a job they say has been both rewarding and challenging.

But after 13 years in the hotel business, the Clarks are ready to retire and have listed their business and freehold for sale with Langford Hotel Brokers for $895,000.

The Totness Inn is one of over 45 pubs and hotels currently for sale in South Australia, 80 per cent of which are leasehold.

“We originally bought the hotel from the Johnston group in 2007, we leased it from them and then in 2012, we bought the freehold,” Ms Clark said.

“Then in 2015, we sold the lease as we wanted to spend some time with the family but came back in 2019 and have been here ever since.

“However, we’re keen to retire and have a caravan in the backyard we’d like to take on the road as there are still a lot of places in SA we haven’t seen.”

Ms Clarke said their time as publicans has been rewarding and filled with plenty of laughs.

“What we’ve enjoyed the most about being publicans is the social aspects and meeting different people,” she said.

“We also get to hear some interesting stories when working behind the bar, especially from the heydays, such as someone riding a horse into the bar and throwing hay bales out of the window.

“But we’ve also seen some quirky things ourselves, like, we had a guy ride through the bottle shop on his horse and another, when we had the Tour Down Under come past, we did this thing where we set up exercise bikes for people to sit on in Lycra.”

Publicans Jim and Liz Clark are selling Totness Inn in Mount Pleasant as they wish to retire. Picture: Tom Huntley

Selling agent John Langford said the Totness Inn was a perfect example of the vast range of pubs and hotels currently for sale in South Australia.

He said the industry was often perfectly suited to couples but also young families seeking a tree change.

Unfortunately lending conditions had made it difficult in recent years for people to enter the industry, prompting a call for cashed up buyers.

“95 per cent of prospective buyers, the banks won’t talk to them,” he said.

“It’s a real frustration, not just for me but so many buyers who are keen to get into the industry.

“So what we need is buyers who don’t have to rely on banks and have the cash behind them.”