Australian Venue Co Acquires First Tasmanian Venue

Jul 23, 2021

Closed since April this year, the Telegraph Hotel will be getting a new lease of life with the food and beverage-led hospitality group undertaking works to restore the heritage venue prior to re-opening to the local Hobart community.

The Telegraph Hotel was first built in 1858 and is in a prime location near the Waterfront of Hobart’s CBD. The renovation will aim to celebrate the rich history of this heritage hotel, creating a high-quality local’s pub that will lie at the heart of the community. The underutilised second floor will be converted into a dining space with a fresh pub dining menu. The downstairs area will remain a public bar with a refreshed look and feel.

Australian Venue Co will be looking to hire and train locally for a re-opening before the end of the year.

AVC has a track record of restoring heritage and landmark pub venues and recently acquired and re-opened the Sarah Sands Hotel in Brunswick, Melbourne with a multi-million renovation after the venue had been closed for four years. Other AVC venues of note include Middle Park Hotel and O’Connell’s. 

Paul Waterson, Australian Venue Co CEO, said the acquisition of the Telegraph Hotel in Hobart was an exciting venue to add to the group’s growing portfolio.

“The Telegraph Hotel is the first AVC investment in the Tasmanian market and we are excited to bring an iconic Hobart venue into the fold. With over 160 venues across Australia and New Zealand, it was high time that we invested in a Tasmanian pub.

“We’re passionate about bringing beautiful old pubs back to life and continuing their legacy in the local community. We’ve got a great track record for investing significantly in our pubs, updating them for the modern customer while preserving their heritage. The pub will undergo some renovations to refresh the venue before we open doors later this year.

“AVC will be looking to build our venue team for both front and back of house during the renovations. We will hire and train locally so we are ready for a re-opening before the end of the year.”

AVC prides itself on its portfolio of more than 170 unique and individual venues across Australia and New Zealand. The group’s approach is to encourage local leadership and to tailor venues to local community tastes, supported by the group’s centralised support office, including HR, finance and marketing.