A country pub, nightclub and cellar door wet the whistle with buyers in October

Visitors to realcommercial.com.au in October were drawn to listings sharing a common theme – iconic watering holes that are popular local landmarks. The top viewed listings were dominated by hospitality assets in Perth, Western Australia, Adelaide Hills, South Australia and Humpty Doo in the Northern Territory.

Perth’s longest continuously running nightspot

Villa nightclub at 187 Stirling Street, Perth, garnered the most views on realcommerial.com.au among buy listings in October.

The two-storey building has been a nightclub since the 1960s, which makes it one of the longest-running nightclub sites in Perth. It was opened by restauranteur Harry Ferrante in the 1960s as Romano’s.

“It has traded under several names over the decades. In the mid-1990s, for example, it was known as Excapade Nightclub,” Cygnet West commercial agency capital markets partner Tory Packer said.

“As Villa, it became a home for live music and electronic events, especially drum and bass and techno, and it has hosted touring DJs and producers from Australia and overseas.

“It holds a nightclub licence for 698 patrons, and for many people in Perth’s music scene it’s an institution.”

Offered as a vacant possession from December 1 with a full fitout, Ms Packer said there has been a lot of interest, with offers to buy received ahead of the end of the sales campaign.

187 Stirling Street as Excapade Nightclub in the 1990s. Picture: State Library of WA

Future buyer plans for the site include continuing it as a nightclub, or as some form of a hospitality venue, she said.

“The site itself, it’s almost being sold as like a land rich type asset, because there’s flexibility for outcomes of the property, whether you want to continue using it or develop it.

“The owner has decided to close the venue to pursue new opportunities, and wanted to give a new owner the chance to write Villa’s next chapter. The owner has held the property for circa two decades.”

Highlights of the offering include approximately 800sqm across two levels, a mixed use zoning, street parking and a location less than 1km to the Perth CBD.

The offers to purchase campaign closes November 11.

Villa has become one of Perth’s most iconic live music venues. Picture: realcommercial.com.au

Iconic Northern Territory Hotel Opportunity

A Northern Territory cultural icon that has served the community and travellers since 1971 was the third most viewed listing last month.

Hitting the market for the first time in more than 30 years, The Humpty Doo Hotel has generated a lot of interest, JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group executive vice president Tom Gleeson said.

Due to its high profile, Mr Gleeson said “everyone’s got a story about the hotel” and it has attracted buyer interest from outside the traditional publican buyer, including people who love the Northern Territory.

“Everyone wants to own the pub. Not everyone has either the capital, or respectfully the ability when it gets down to it,” he said.

Iconic top end pub the Humpty Doo Hotel has hit the market. Picture: realcommercial.com.au

The vendor – the longest licensee in the hotel’s history – is selling the popular watering hole with plans to retire.

Set on a sprawling 2.03ha landholding, the pub is considered an iconic landmark along Australia’s famed Arnhem Highway, and is frequented by long-distance travellers and tourists.

Situated 30 minutes from the Darwin CBD, its revenue streams include a sports bar with indoor and outdoor areas, a bistro, souvenir shop, a gaming lounge and a drive-through bottle shop.

The hotel is known for featuring in several bush ballads, such as “The Man from Humpty Doo” by Ted Egan and the “Humpty Doo Waltz” by Slim Dusty, and for having the largest Buffalo horns in the southern hemisphere in its front bar.

Agents say pubs like the Humpty Doo Hotel have a lot to offer patrons. Picture: realcommercial.com.au

Mr Gleeson said The Humpty Doo Hotel is the longest continually licensed premise in all the territory, and despite the current cost of living crisis people still enjoyed going to a pub for a meal or drink.

“The thing that we say about pubs is …pubs actually have an ability to hedge against the inflation and risk,” he said.

“When you have a going concern business, you can pull some levers. There’s different challenges, but you can run different events, or you can change your mix, do specials or stuff like that.

“People’s habits change, but they might go to the pub more often, but have a slightly cheaper bottle of wine, or instead of getting the 500g sirloin, they get the parmie.”

The hotel is being sold via an expressions of interest campaign, closing November 18.

Adelaide Hills hospitality

A picturesque Adelaide Hills cellar door and brewery ranked in the top three most viewed listings last month.

The freehold interest in Union Bridge Cudlee Creek, a hospitality and beverage production property at 2329 Gorge Road, Cudlee Creek, is on the market via an expressions of interest campaign until November 11.

The Union Bridge also doubles as a brewery. Picture: realcommercial.com.au

Savills Adelaide investment sales agent Sam Alexander said there has been a lot of enquiries from established businesses looking to start their own hospitality venture, as well as residential buyers looking to turn the building into a residence.

Established within the historic 1922 Cudlee Creek Cold Stores, the property includes a cellar door and dining venue with brewery and distillery accommodation.