Central Geelong pub linked to Cats great Corey Enright for sale

The Geelong Hotel, at 69 Yarra St, Geelong, has been listed for sale or lease.

The Geelong Hotel has hit the market just months after former high-profile operators were kicked out of the landmark inner city pub.

Cats great Corey Enright fronted the company that most recently ran the Yarra St venue until its lease was terminated in April.

The long-term owners are now looking for a fresh start for the circa 1854 watering hole, either by selling the freehold or securing a new tenant.

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Savills commercial sales director Julian Heatherich said they gone through the two-storey building, making repairs and replacing equipment so it was primed for a new hospitality operator to move in.

“It presents extremely well so literally someone can get in there and start operating tomorrow,” Mr Heatherich said.

“It has got a 5am liquor licence, which is pretty rare. That’s why the previous guys could run it as a nightclub.”

He said expects strong interest in the Art Deco pub, at 69 Yarra St, Geelong, given its central city location and flexibility.

Geelong premiership player Corey Enright promoting the Geelong Hotel back in 2019. Picture: Mark Wilson

The interior of the pub has been refreshed ready for a new owner or tenant.

Art Deco ceilings and exposed brick feature in the dining area.

There’s scope to run a separate venue, nightclub or events space upstairs, above the main restaurant and fully fitted bar, as the building has separate first-floor access.

Several local buyers have already inquired into the pub, but could face competition from large interstate brands who are showing renewed interest in Victorian hotels.

The freehold for the 801sq m property is expected to fetch circa $6m.

“Their preference is to lease it out but the nature of this type of offering is that you do get a lot of owner occupiers for these types of properties,” Mr Heatherich said.

“We have some operators out of Sydney and Queensland who have been looking to get into Victoria because right now Queensland and New South Wales are extremely strong. Like a lot of things, Victoria is a little bit slow on most property markets and the hotels market is really starting to ramp up.”

The first floor bar has a retractable roof.

There are multiple bars throughout the venue.

This flexible room could be used as a nightclub or event space.

The Geelong Hotel has a licence capacity for up to 950 patrons and a full liquor licence from 7am-5am on trading days.

It occupies a 1170sq m site adjacent to the 141-space Little Malop St car park.

The owners retook possession of the pub from previous tenant MD Hotel Group Pty Ltd in June, alleging unpaid rent and that it had been left in poor condition.

Mathew Dyer and Dean Trembath are listed as directors of the company, in which Enright and Max McKay are shareholders.

At the time, a MD Hotel Group representative denied the venue had been left in a state of disrepair, stating it had contributed to significant capital upgrades.