Sunshine Coast and Noosa pub and bar owners revealed
It’s no secret the Sunshine Coast and Noosa are home to some of the best watering holes in Queensland and these publicans are the driving forces behind them.
Sunshine Coast
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Through pandemics and a cost of living crisis, plenty of Sunshine Coast and Noosa watering holes have done it tough, but these driving forces behind them have kept the beers pouring.
Several have changed hands, been renovated, or opened new locations over the last few years.
From Maroochydore’s party precinct in Ocean St, to the Noosa glitter strip, these are the names behind some of the Coast’s biggest venues.
The Post Office Bar owner John Calcino said he bought the business in 2014 as a restaurant.
He changed over to a pub licence, a process that took about 18 months.
Mr Calcino said having a licence that allowed live music and DJs turned the business around.
“Restaurants are notoriously difficult to make money unless you’re iconic or a chain of restaurants,” he said.
He said a “game changer” in the pub industry had been late-night scanning.
Even though he once was against scanning, Mr Calcino said it really helped with behaviour in the venue.
“I thought it was an extra expense, it takes longer for patrons to come in,” he said.
“I thought it was a negative thing for my venue but I’m very grateful that the Queensland Government had brought that in.”
Mr Calcino said having long-term staff members, and his sons managing the pub, plus regular DJs all contributed to a smooth operation.
“We have a great group of staff, a great group of DJs, I don’t experience those employment problems that a lot of other places have,” he said.
Pub baron Rob Comiskey, who is one of the names behind two of the Coast’s largest venues, The Doonan and the upcoming Aura Hotel, said gone were the days of “traditional” pubs as they had now evolved into family-oriented type establishments.
“Back in the olden days you wouldn’t feel safe taking your family into a hotel or some areas of a hotel,” he said.
Mr Comiskey’s secret to his success was giving each of his venues their own “personality” and individual focus.
“Some of (our newer and upcoming venues) have bowling alleys and arcades and American sports bars. They’re very different,” he said.
“You make them that good that people will travel 15, 20, 30 minutes rather than being ‘okay that’s our local’.”
But the Sunshine Coast was by far one of the most difficult LGA’s to establish a business in, he said.
Ocean St stalwarts Dimi Limnatitis and Alex Johns own The Nautical, The Rooftop Bar, Solbar, Old Soul and Mr Limnatitis owns Diablo Co.
Mr Limnatitis said the thing he liked most about working in the hospitality industry was the culture, especially around live music, that was created at venues like Solbar.
“People have called their kids Sol because they’ve met at Solbar,” he said.
He said he liked people coming out and enjoying the atmosphere they were creating at their venues.
He also said Diablo offered tastings and people could try cocktails made with their spirits while at the Woombye distillery.
Maroochydore
Solbar and Old Soul
Co-owned by Dimi Limnatitis and Alex Johns, Solbar has a focus on live music and hosts local, national and international acts.
Old Soul also has many musical offerings for patrons across many genres.
The Post Office Bar
John Calcino bought the business in 2014 and took 18 months to change the venue from a restaurant to a pub.
He says he has not looked back since changing the business.
The Double Barrel Bar
Ocean Street’s Double Barrel Bar was opened in 2018 by father and son duo, Michael and Bradley Valencour.
Bradley Valencour, Mr Valencour’s son, was previously a head chef.
The theme behind the venue was a western-inspired whisky, cocktail and tapas bar designed to be a relaxing space for punters to knock back a drink or two be it a Wednesday or Saturday night.
The Sunshine Coast Daily reported the business went up for sale in August 2022, after the older Valencour said plans for the business changed.
Mr Valencour planned to hand over the reins to his son and work part-time at the venue after moving to an inland town more than an hour away from the business in 2021.
Duporth Tavern
The oldest pub in Maroochydore was bought by Raw Group director Clayton Williams in 2010.
Formerly known as the Club Hotel, the Duporth Tavern first opened in 1911. The Sunshine Coast Daily reported it was once only accessible by bullock tracks which meant people had to travel by boat from Yandina and often had to camp the night.
The business underwent a $25m refurbishment in 2020, the scope of which was changed when the pandemic hit.
The refurbishment featured a new front bar and outdoor area as well as a 300-seater function and entertainment room.
Mooloolaba
Taps
Taps, otherwise known as Taps @ Mooloolaba, first opened in 2013 with owner Steven Barber at the helm.
The bar first gained attention for its creative concept of allowing punters to pour their own beers.
The property housing the bar was bought for $2.2m by a Melbourne investor in 2020, but Mr Barber continued to own the business.
Mr Barber is also a key figure in popular Blackflag Brewing which started out in Mooloolaba and recently expanded with its new Coolum compound.
Pavilion
Overlooking the ocean on Mooloolaba’s glitter strip, Pavilion first opened in 2021 with co-founders Craig Morrison and Shane Hepburn at the helm.
The Mediterranean-style venue will receive a multimillion-dollar upgrade with a new rooftop bar, tipped to be open by the end of 2023.
Boston Shaker
Nestled in the Mooloolaba Wharf, the Boston Shaker bar was established in 2018 under the eye of owner Olivia ‘Livi’ Robins.
Aside from owning the venue, Ms Robins is a musician and Sunshine Coast local.
The bar is described on their website as having a 1920s art-deco theme and offering cocktails and whiskies.
Caloundra
Kings Beach Tavern
The Kings Beach Tavern on Burnett St is owned by venue giant Australian Venue Co, which own 85 venues across the state.
The tavern underwent a $2m makeover in 2021 which involved renovating its deck, bistro, gaming room, sports bar and kids zone.
It was tipped to be one of the biggest live music venues on the Coast.
Spinners Bar and Bowl
Family business Spinners Bar and Bowl is owned by husband and wife duo Trish and David Mullins.
The business opened in 2016 and underwent extensive renovations in 2020, which included new bowling lanes, new arcade machines and glow-in-the-dark carpet.
Mr and Mrs Mullins opened a second bowling venue in Maroochydore in 2018.
Hinterland
The Doonan
One of the newer and fancier venues to grace the Noosa hinterland was the long awaited The Doonan.
The Beddington Rd venue, owned by pub baron Rob Comiskey and business partners Josh Jones and Neville Allen, opened the 2ha eatery on March 2.
Mr Comiskey’s family bought the three-storey building, which was formerly a German restaurant, and property in 2006.
Mr Comiskey also owns the yet to be completed Aura Hotel, coming to the Stockland Aura development at Caloundra South.
Parklands Tavern
The Parklands Tavern, in Meridan Plains, is owned by Sunshine Coast Hotels Pty Ltd.
The company also own the Baringa Tavern, Brightwater Hotel and the Sunshine Coast Lakehouse.
The tavern, which is described on its website as “a garden oasis”, opened in early 2015.
Brouhaha, Maleny
Brouhaha Brewery and Restaurant in the heart of Maleny was founded by Matt Jancauskas, Julian Leigh, Jeff Bess and Dave Lough.
The million-dollar venue opened in 2016, shortly followed by a second Sunshine Coast venue at Baringa in 2021 and a third venue in New Farm in Brisbane in March 2023.
Beerwah Hotel
The Beerwah Hotel, located on Beerwah Pde, is owned by long-time Sunshine Coast publicans Rick and Keri Gazzard.
The couple also own the Palmwoods Hotel and bought the Glass House Mountains Tavern in 2021.
Alexandra Headland
The Blue Bar
The Alex Hotel, better known as The Blue Bar, is owned by ALH Group.
The hospitality empire also operates a swag of venues in the region including nearby O’Malley’s Irish Bar and Pub Mooloolaba as well as scores of others across the region.
The Alex Hotel was listed for sale in January 2023, with a price range of $11m, and at the time of publishing was still up for sale.
Nambour
Club Hotel Namba
Club Hotel Namba, on Currie St, is overseen by directors Josh Allen and Paul Harley.
Stalwart, the former business in the venue, shut in February 2022 and brewer Adam Tomlinson pointed to the Covid-19 pandemic as the reason behind the business’s closure.
Mr Allen and Mr Harley managed a makeover of the space valued between $50,000 and $100,000.
The renovations included painting the interior and exterior, installing new flooring and redoing the beer garden.
The pub is one of Nambour’s most historic watering holes.
Sippy Downs
The Bower tree
One of the newest and biggest pubs to grace the Sunshine Coast, the Bower Tree at Sippy Downs opened in 2023.
The venue is described on their website as a “community club”, but includes a wine bar, bistro, cafe and pizzeria as well as three bars and a gaming room.
It is owned by Boldbridge Group, a company who also own the popular Nambour RSL.
Noosa
Reef Hotel
The Reef Hotel, on Noosa Dr at Noosa Heads, was snapped up by Universal Store co-founder Greg Josephson for $13.9m in 2021.
The iconic venue is described on their website as “the heart and soul of Noosa”, and provides views out over Noosa Main Beach and the North Shore.
The Apollonian Hotel
Family-owned Boreen Point pub the Apollonian Hotel is reportedly under the direction of original owners Neil and Lou Paynter and their son George.
The hotel began in Gympie but was moved to Boreen Point in 1988. The Paynters have been in and out of action running the venue, but ultimately returned in 2019.
Villa Noosa Hotel
The Villa Noosa Hotel, located in the heart of the city’s centre, is owned by the Trust Company Australia Ltd, according to RP Data.
It was bought for more than $20m in September 2014.
Bli Bli
The Bli Bli Hotel, due to open in mid-2023, will be operated by Sunshine Coast Hotels in partnership with the Story Bridge Hotel owner Richard Deery.
The Sunshine Coast Hotels group includes the Brightwater Hotel, Parklands Tavern, Baringa Tavern and the Lakehouse Sunshine Coast.
Construction started in 2021 and developers Michael and Roz White are behind the much anticipated $20m tavern.
Eumundi
Joe’s Waterhole in Eumundi was bought by West Australian company Good Drinks Australia for $5.3m in September 2021 with the intention of building a brewery for its popular Matso’s ginger beer brand.
Builders are weeks away from starting work on the plan that was submitted to the Sunshine Coast Council in September 2022.
The new owners have also sold off the pub’s pokies licences ahead of the renovation.
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