North Coast offloads Moonee Beach Tavern

The hotel (front) neighbours Primewest’s Moonee Market – about 15 kilometres north of Coffs Harbour.

North Coast Hotel Group is banking a speculated $22 million from Moonee Beach Tavern, about 15 kilometres north of Coffs Harbour.

The buyer is a consortium comprising Martin Short, Sean O’Hara and Jamie Malouf.

Both parties hold other regional NSW pubs.

The latest deal was negotiated off-market by HTL Property’s Blake Edwards.

It comes in the year construction of the Coffs Harbour bypass – set to detour 12 sets of traffic lights – will begin.

Two months ago, Centuria spent $23m on the region’s Coffs Harbour Specialist Centre.

Neighbouring that, the state government’s Coffs Harbour Health Campus is undergoing a $194m refurbishment and extension.

In southern NSW, Justin Hemmes’ Merivale is speculated to be close to buying Narooma’s Whale restaurant – two months after the group acquired the region’s Quarterdeck (story continues below).

Gowing Bros Limited sold Moonee Market for $30.5m in 2019.

New owner now holds three Coffs region pubs

Moonee Beach Tavern at 2 Moonee Beach Road, at the south east corner of the Pacific Highway, neighbours Moonee Market – which Primewest picked up for $30.5m in late 2019 – Coffs Coast Health Club and an aquatic centre.

“The sale will allow our group to invest time and energy into our other pubs, starting with renovations of both the Coramba and Hoey Moey venues, as well as the large scale redevelopment of the Good Intel Hotel in Grafton,” North Coast director Harry Barry said.

Mr Short added the family friendly property is “a high-quality asset left in good stead by the previous owner”.

“This opportunity further adds to what we’ve known and loved about the town over the last five years and we’re looking forward to its next stage of growth,” he added.

The consortium’s Mid North Coast portfolio includes the Toormina Hotel and Sawtell Hotel, respectively nine and 12 kms south of Coffs Harbour.

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Marc Pallisco

A former property analyst and print journalist, Marc is the publisher of realestatesource.com.au.