Public Hospitality buys up The Maybe Group, responsible for top bar Maybe Sammy, and adds to $600m empire

Public Hospitality buys up The Maybe Group — responsible for top bar Maybe Sammy — adding to a $600 million empire that rivals Justin Hemmes’ Merivale.

Pictured at The Oxford Hotel are Public Hospitality's Jon Adgemis and Maybe's Vince Lombardo, Stefano Catino and Martin Hudak. The Maybe Group has been acquired by Public. At right is Hudak serving up a cocktail at Maybe's most popular bar, Maybe Sammy. Pictures: Richard Dobson/Sam Ruttyn

In a move set to shake up Sydney’s hospitality industry, burgeoning heavy hitter Public Hospitality has bought The Maybe Group.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal the Jon Adgemis owned Public, who are behind the revitalised Lady Hampshire and Oxford House in Paddington have acquired The Maybe Group, who own Australia’s Best Bar, Maybe Sammy in The Rocks.

With the purchase price being kept confidential, the deal will see The Maybe Group run by Vincenzo Lombardo, Stefano Catino and Martin Hudak immediately brought into the Public empire which is estimated to have over $600m worth of assets.

Public and Maybe Group first partnered together on Paddington’s newest hot spot El Primo Sanchez, which opened in February. However, the acquisition has been in the works for nine months.

“Beyond being guest-first, our key priority at Public is culture and people, so making sure the groups worked well together throughout the process of opening El Primo Sanchez in Paddington was crucial,” said Adgemis.

El Primo Sanchez in Paddington. Picture: Steven Woodburn

In the past 12 months Adgemis, a former KPMG investment banker, has become one of Sydney’s biggest pub barons in a city that is filled with heavy hitters like Justin Hemmes’ Merivale and the Laundy Hotels group.

Public have relaunched some of the city’s most popular establishments including Darlinghurst’s The Strand Hotel and Balmain’s The Exchange Hotel and purchased others, including Bondi’s Noah’s Backpackers for $68 million.

Maybe Sammy has been named in the World’s 50 Best Bars for the past four years.

This acquisition gives the group an international presence, with The Maybe Group well regarded overseas and Maybe Sammy being the only Australasian Bar to be named in The World’s 50 Best Bars for the past four years.

The deal will see Maybe Group re-imagine the cocktail offerings at other Public venues, including their hotels. There are also plans to open new ventures together both in NSW and interstate.

Adgemis said in just six weeks of opening El Primo Sanchez with The Maybe Group on Oxford Street, business has improved five-fold. During the group’s Maybe Cocktail Festival, they sold an estimated 4000 cocktails in a week.

Lombardo said given the success of El Primo Sanchez there was “no question” when it came to joining the Public team.

“We’re feeling more inspired than ever with the exciting new concepts underway, and we’re looking forward to welcome guests into the next generation of hospitality with Public and The Maybe Group,” he said.

Adgemis also collaborated with Love, Tilly Group, and said “other acquisitions won’t be ruled out in the future.”

“The acquisition of The Maybe Group is another example of how Public sets itself apart in the market,” he said.