Stuart Laundy returns to work at family’s pub empire after quitting politics

One’s a playboy, the other a recovering politician — now brothers ­Stuart and Craig Laundy are back behind the bar and ready to take over the family’s $500 million pub empire. But patriarch Arthur Laundy isn’t going away quietly.

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One’s a playboy, the other a recovering politician — now brothers ­Stuart and Craig Laundy are back behind the bar and ready to take over the family’s $500 million pub empire.

Fresh from quitting as a Liberal Party MP following the Malcolm Turnbull leadership spill, Craig has stepped back into the role he held six years ago, overseeing the operations of 53 pubs owned by Laundy Hotels.

But patriarch Arthur Laundy, now 78, isn’t going quietly and even had time for a masterclass in deal making recently when he faced off with fellow hospitality veteran John Singleton over the prized Bells Hotel Wooloomooloo.

Craig Laundy, pictured with his dad Arthur Laundy, has stepped back into his old role since quitting politics. Picture: Tim Hunter

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In what has become the stuff of Sydney industry folklore, Arthur ­simply approached the hotel’s owners just prior to auction and asked what they hoped the winning bid would be.

It’s understood the figure was $15 million.

“I said; ‘Okay I will give you that price today’. And they agreed and I called the lawyers right then and we bought the pub,” Laundy Sr said.

By the time all parties had shaken hands, word had already seeped out and a “furious” Singleton allegedly stormed into the bar and insisted he would have paid $20 million.

Arthur, without missing a beat, said: “Well get your pen out John. I will sell it to you right now for that.”

Patriarch Arthur recently helped snatch The Bells Hotel for $15 million from hospitality veteran John Singleton.

The Laundy empire own a number of hotels including The Watsons Bay Hotel.

And recently opened the Marsden Brewhouse in Marsden Park.

Singleton, according to witnesses, was speechless.

“Yes,” Arthur laughs of the incident, “that certainly drew a blank.”

The Laundy family net worth has been reported at more than $500 million.

While Craig says it’s a move he was largely motivated by family — aside from working with his father and brother, Laundy’s two children also collect glasses and pour beers at their recently opened Marsden Brewhouse — he ­admits the life of a politician was, ultimately, a thankless one.

“I don’t think I was naive necessarily but, look, it’s tough,” says Laundy, a Malcolm Turnbull loyalist who supported some progressive policies, including quotas for women in parliament, that irked conservative Liberals.

“You work your guts out day in day out,” he said. “You do whatever you can for the community but ­ultimately you can never keep everyone happy.

“It’s kind of like being a publican in a way. But at the end of the day if someone is getting on your nerves in a pub you can just ask them to leave.

“In politics, more often than not you just have to grin and bear it.”

Laundy said politician life was a thankless job. Picture: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

His return was music to the ears of the company patriarch who, despite publicly supporting his son’s political tilt back in 2012, admitted he initially tried to ­kybosh the idea.

“When he first floated it with me I think my response was: ‘What the hell do you want to go and do that for’,” Arthur laughs.

“I had heaps of mates who were pollies and you can be the best bloke in the world one minute … and the next you’re the worst.

“So I talked him out of it but then he came back some time after and said it was still on his mind so I said you should never die wondering. Give it a go.”

Stuart, who was chosen as the winner of The Bacherlorette by ­Sophie Monk, jokes that he and his brother have long anointed their dad with the nickname ‘The Child of the Depression’ due to his work ethic.

Stu Laundy, who dated Sophie Monk, for a few months before they separated said his dad and brother are two of the hardest working people he knows. Picture: Justin Lloyd

Arthur still works in his office in Homebush seven days a week. On weekends he says he can “get more done when it’s quieter”.

“Dad, and Craig for that matter, are the two hardest working people I have ever met in my life,” Stuart, who says he prefers to adopt a “work smarter not harder” philosophy, said.

“Dad and I have clashed many times over the years for that reason but it’s also the reason why we compliment each other so well.

“I made a speech at Craig’s 30th birthday where I said; ‘Craig is a hard act to follow … which is why I chose not to’. And it’s true. I envy them. I wish I was more like that but it’s just not me.” He added, laughing: “I have just been overseas for a month. I played Augusta two weeks ago. But combined, we just work and ­it’s fantastic to be back together.”