An inside look into Tasmania’s biggest pubs and how they’re dealing with Covid
The faces behind the state’s most iconic pubs have unveiled their secrets to pouring beers mid-pandemic and their exciting plans for 2022. MEET THE PUBLICANS >>
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For pub owners across Tasmania, the last two years have been tough. From lockdowns, to a string of inconvenient restrictions and now staff shortages, those in the industry have been dealt blow by blow from Covid.
As we go about the new normal, masking up after polishing off a schooner of Cascade, the names behind the state’s most popular watering holes are continuing to make sure they deliver top notch service to thirsty and hungry patrons.
Tassie’s pub barons tell the Mercury how they rose to success, their secrets to surviving the pandemic and the exciting plans in store for their venues.
Dave Gunton - The Bruny Hotel
Dave Gunton is the man behind the iconic Hotel Bruny. From a very young age the local told the Mercury that he made a conscious decision to carve out a career in the hospitality industry.
At just 20-years-old Gunton snatched up a management job at Sandy Bay’s Mayfair Tavern after working at the Sheraton Hotel, which is now known as the Hotel Grand Chancellor. From there he went on to purchase leasehold businesses of his own including the Duke of Wellington and the Tattersalls Hotel in Hobart.
10 years later Gunton drove past the “somewhat sleepy” Bruny Hotel and noticed it had a “for sale” sign up.
“It reminded me of how much I missed being behind a bar seven days a week and so, off I went to see the bank manager,”
Gunton said he’s narrowed down the beloved watering hole’s success to two golden rules;
“1 - be open – first rule of business, be open, we open all day, every day, 364 days each year our kitchen serves food all day, every day and we often joke that ‘lunch finishes at 4.29pm and then we start dinner at 4.30pm,”
“and 2 - just say yes”
Today Gunton and his team are looking forward to building stage two of their popular ‘Hotel Burny Lodge’ accommodation room while dealing with the hiccups of Omicron.
“We came pretty close to having to close at one stage, with more than half of our front of house team on health leave,” he said.
“We feel that the success of Hotel Bruny is very much a team effort - and by that we mean ‘Team Tasmania’ – as a born and bred Tasmanian, I am so proud to call this amazing place home.”
Mendel Zotz-Wilson and Shane Gill - Crescent Hotel
The mates behind Hobart’s beloved Room for a Pony, Mendel Zotz-Wilson and Shane Gill bought up the Crescent Hotel two years ago, leaping at the chance to take up a new business opportunity in a 160-year-old building rich with history.
“The pub had been closed for a few years when we took it over so it was a chance to bring it back to life and modernise some aspects of the food, drinks and service, but at the end of the day we didn’t want to change too much.” said co-owner Mendel Zotz-Wilson.
“We have aimed for a very local focus, and I think that’s been pretty successful”.
Covid presented some challenges for the pair with the state’s first lockdown ruining grand plans for its reopening.
“Covid was a real spanner in the works for us as the first lockdown happened two weeks before we were intending to open.” he said.
“Although that presented some issues, in a way it gave us an extra few months to polish the product!”
“I think its hugely important that we have stayed open since, even when its been difficult too. It’s obviously been hard for punters and businesses alike, but I think there is a certain camaraderie between venues and locals in having (fingers crossed) gotten though the worst of it together.”
Looking to the future the owners have plans to develop a large roof top terrace to provide an outdoor feature that patrons can use for all four seasons.
Ralph & Suzanne Norton - Irish Murphys
Owners Ralph and Suzanne Norton forged their hospitality growth and success through their inspiring vision and the creation of iconic theme brand “Irish Murphy’s”.
The ex-Victorians, started their chain in Launceston in 1996, off the back of Ralph coming home to announce to wife Suzanne that he’d “bought a Pub!”.
While the flagship venue was Launceston, the entrepreneurs took the risk and embarked on developing and launching a further six Irish Murphy’s branded pubs in Tasmania, Queensland and Victoria, which includes Hobart’s iconic Irish Murphy’s, still operating under the Norton Group in Salamanca.
Like many others in the hospitality industry Covid proved tough for the team.
“While many regional and suburban venues could pivot (say to take away food) – we didn’t have an audience,” the pair told the Mercury.
“Reopening took longer than we would have liked; it was a slow burn – and still is in some respects,”
“It’s certainly been a rocky road, and we will continue this path for some time yet. But we feel we are turning a corner.”
Looking ahead the husband and wife team said a rebrand could be on the cards.
“We do have some ideas about the future ofIrish Murphy’s Hobart, and whether we stick with the Irish theme or move away from it and rebrand altogether. That discussion is on the table internally, so watch this space!”
Wendy Robbins - The Royal Oak Hotel
For Wendy Robbins the owner of Launceston's popular Royal Oak Hotel the decision to take over the venue in 2019 was an easy one for the veteran hospitality worker.
“I had two choices - divorced after 30 years and a choice of a white picket fence or an opportunity to be part of a community with an interest in live music, good food and performing arts,” she said.
“The employment opportunities for a 60 year old self employed female don’t exist so I had to make my own.”
The venue that is known as a rite of passage for young Launceston locals has a long history of live music - a feature Robbins took advantage of when Tasmania was hurled into lockdown two years ago.
“We organised a series of paid livestream performances by local musos to compensate for the forced venue closure. Performances were viewed by 8000 people across Australia.” she said.
“Financially at the moment we would be better to close. But our staff need wages to live. Several staff have no shifts and no income.”
Looking ahead renovations to the second storey of the Royal Oak are underway with plans to include a rooftop bar and multiple private dining and function rooms.
Matt and Theresa Martin - The Talbot
New on Hobart’s pub scene is The Talbot’s brand new owners Theresa and Matt Martin. The pair took over the popular New Town pub in January following some personal life changes last year.
“Both Theresa and I have never worked in hospitality until we brought the Talbot.” Matt told the Mercury.
“Last April my dad passed away and it was always our plan to one day buy a pub together. Many years ago he worked at the Talbot running the bottle shop,”
“Theresa has also gone through her own health scare coming off battling breast cancer. This was diagnosed in December 2020 and have now finished all treatment and so far so good - the news is promising. We sat down together and when we knew the Talbot was available we decided to take a chance and go for it.”
Aware of the uncertainties that came with Covid, Matt and Theresa still seized the opportunity and decided to live out their dream of owning and running a pub.
“I know from talking to the previous owner the last two years has been very difficult for him and he did an amazing job to keep the place going.”
Matt and Theresa have exciting plans to renovate the roof top bar which they hope to hire out for functions and music gigs in the summer time.
Brendon Bourke - The Telegraph Hotel
The co-owner of Hobart’s iconic Telegraph Hotel said renovations are “powering ahead” with changes to the venue set to revitalise the Hobart waterfront.
“We’ve owned it for nearly 30 years and it needed a big shake up!” Bourke told the Mercury.
The Telegraph Hotel has been in the hands of the Cobra International Director and his brother since 1993 and has been closed since the beginning of 2021 after changing tenants, with mainland company Australian Venue Co taking over operation.
“They’ve got up to about 190 hotels and this one will be the first in Tassie.” he said.
Coinciding with the change of hands the pub is undergoing a facelift that will see the creation of a rooftop bar while the ground floor will be remodelled to make way for a new casual dining area.
“To be able to sit out on that roof and look out on the harbour, it’ll be beautiful.” noted Bourke.
Although the venue hasn’t had its doors open during the peak of the pandemic, Bourke said they have been unable to avoid the affects of Covid even during their facelift.
“It’s all up in the air with the building materials, we are waiting for a piece to come from Italy for example and it’s constantly being delayed,”
Due to construction delays the Telegraph’s anticipated reopening has been pushed back with doors expected to open sometime before winter 2022.
Julian and Tracey Jacobs - Stanley Hotel
North West locals Julian and Tracey Jacobs are the publicans behind the Stanley Hotel.
As the owners of local accommodation the husband and wife purchased the hotel 21 years ago with the hope of providing North West visitors and locals with a place to eat delicious food with a focus on local produce.
“There wasn’t a reliable place in town to send visitors of the hotel to so when the building came up for sale we bought it for that reason – we wanted to provide the town with somewhere great to eat,” Tracey told the Mercury.
As we edge closer to a post-pandemic world the Jacobs commended the loyalty of travelling locals at a time that was both tough and uncertain for the hospitality industry.
“When we were allowed to reopen it was only Tasmanians travelling,” said Tracey.
“The last couple of years Tasmanians have certainly supported the regional areas including Stanley which has been great.”
Heading into 2022 the couple are looking to complete renovations and upgrades to their beautiful historic building.
“We see a very positive future and Stanley is a great place to visit so we are very optimistic.”
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