Tom McHugo’s: Licensees of popular Hobart pub told their lease will not be renewed

It’s become a Hobart institution since opening in 2016 but this beloved CBD pub has been left with no choice but to shut up shop in June. Why an era is coming to an end.

Tom McHugo's co-owner Tom Westcott. Picture: Zak Simmonds

One of Hobart’s most popular pubs, Tom McHugo’s, will be forced to close its doors for good this June after the licensees were informed their lease would not be renewed.

Husband and wife, Tom Westcott and Whitney Ball, who formerly ran the popular restaurant, Franklin, on Hobart’s waterfront, opened the gastropub on the corner of Macquarie and Argyle streets in 2016.

Pouring exclusively Tasmanian tap beers and serving delectable meals made with seasonal produce sourced from local farmers, Tom McHugo’s quickly developed a loyal following and has become an institution in the hospitality scene.

But Mr Westcott and Ms Ball say their landlord has informed them that their lease, which expires in June this year, will not be renewed or extended, forcing them to reluctantly turn their backs on the pub.

Tom Westcott and Whitney Ball, of Tom McHugo's in Hobart, say their landlord has informed them that their lease will not be renewed beyond June 2024. Picture: Luke Burgess

The pair said they understood the landlord would be taking over the site, which is steeped in history, and operating their own business there.

Mr Westcott and Ms Ball are now actively on the hunt for a space in the CBD where they can open a new venue.

“As the years have passed, we have seen so many people come through these doors to support us and the food networks of farmers and producers that are the core of our offering,” Ms Ball said.

“Tom McHugo’s means so much to us because of the incredible people who make up our team, who live and breathe what we do here. It has been our absolute pleasure and we will be forever grateful for the opportunity.”

Interior view of Tom McHugo's in Hobart. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

Mr Westcott said he felt privileged to have shared Tom McHugo’s with customers, staff, and primary producers “who all gave meaning to our lives”.

“Knowing that we have had a positive influence on our community gives me solace,” he said.

“I am grateful to have been at the right place at the right time [and] to have been a part of this place that so many have come to enjoy.”

Built in 1842, the two-storey property at 87 Macquarie St was originally known as the Hobart Hotel. It later became Maloney’s, which boasted an upstairs nightclub, and then evolved into Montgomery’s Hotel.

When Montgomery’s closed in 2014, new licensees took over the space and opened The Fluke and Bruce, before Mr Westcott and Ms Ball started Tom McHugo’s there two years later.

Originally published as Tom McHugo’s: Licensees of popular Hobart pub told their lease will not be renewed