The mystery duo quietly snapping up waterfront hospitality venues north of Sydney can finally be revealed, and their plans include the rebirth of a beloved boat shed at Palm Beach and a beachside mega-venue at Terrigal.

Restaurateur and publican Ben May, cashed-up after the sale of his Manly Wharf Hotel in June, confirmed he has teamed up with hospitality veteran Rob Domjen on the buying spree.

They’ve nabbed the site of the Reef Restaurant and Cove Cafe, where they’ll open the multi-level Terrigal Pavilion, which backs onto the sand, as well as a waterfront eatery overhanging Pittwater at Palm Beach.

May, who took his Sydney venue Mrs Sippy to Bali and owns the Burleigh Pavilion in south-east Queensland, says: “I feel like I’m more of a restaurateur these days than a hotelier.”

May and Domjen were outsiders to snare the boat shed site at Palm Beach, where the now sprawling Boathouse Group (which has nine venues, from Patonga to Rose Bay) started and was tipped to return after the boat shed’s $7 million refurbishment.

“It was built in 1947, we’ll bring back the original name, the Barrenjoey Boatshed. It’ll be a smart cafe,” May says.

“We’re trying to avoid the cliche boat shed look, but it’ll still have a coastal feel.”

May, who opened the slick Bar Tropic restaurant in Manly in 2021, will transplant some of that design ethos to Terrigal with a $5 million refit before opening Terrigal Pavilion.

“We’ll listen to the locals, get a feel for what they want. There’ll be a casual restaurant upstairs, and we’ll keep the kiosk downstairs. It’s in an incredible position, north facing and tucked into Haven Cove.”

May and Domjen will take possession of the Terrigal site later this year, opening Terrigal Pavilion in late 2024.

Barrenjoey Boatshed will open in time for the Palm Beach holiday season, on December 1, 2023.

Correction: An earlier version of this story referred to the Haven Beach Restaurant site. It’s been updated to say the site of the Reef Restaurant and Cove Cafe.