Iconic Sydney pub faces uncertain future after owners decide to sell

Chippendale pub The Rose Hotel is up for sale via an expressions of interest campaign.

One of Sydney’s most beloved inner-city watering holes has come up for sale.

After more than two decades of cold beers, roaring crowds and late-night legends, The Rose Hotel in Chippendale has been offered to market through an expressions of interest campaign.

The Kanellos family, who’ve kept the beer flowing at the Cleveland Street institution for over 20 years, are calling last drinks as they prepare to hand over the keys to one of the city’s most cherished pubs.

“It’s a pub for locals, supported by locals,” has long been the Rose’s rallying cry and now, a new owner will have the chance to take the reins at the corner-site 1km from Central Station, in the heart of Sydney’s booming Tech Central corridor.

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The pub is a popular watering hole for students because of its proximity to the University of Sydney.

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Set on a 485sqm block also close to the University of Sydney, the two-storey pub is being sold through agents Kate MacDonald and Greg Jeloudev of JLL Hotels and Hospitality.

Ms MacDonald said properties like it rarely came up for sale.

‘Sydney LGA classified hotels are tightly held and rarely come to market,” she said. “As such, we are expecting a hotly contested sales process.”

And there’s plenty to fight for. The Rose pulls in average weekly revenues north of $70,000 (excluding GST), powered by a strong bar and food offering, plus nine gaming machine entitlements that the agents claim are “underperforming”.

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Singer songwriter Angus Stone performing at the Rose Hotel back in 2013.

The premises includes a popular beer garden.

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A release announcing the sale explained that the beer garden was a local favourite and that the first-floor event space was ripe for reinvention.

Mr Jeloudev added that conditions in the pub sale market were improving “due to a decisive federal election result and an impending monetary rate cut”.

Chippendale itself is in the midst of a dramatic evolution: the population is expected to grow by about 30 per cent by 2046 and the local tech sector has been strengthening.

Expressions of interest for The Rose Hotel close Tuesday 3rd June 2025.