By Vanessa Cavasinni, editor Australian Hotelier
After initially declaring that the group had no interest in the Keystone portfolio, a spokesperson for Dixon Hospitality Group has today confirmed that it is now interested in some of the Keystone venues.
At the beginning of August, Dixon Hospitality denied interest in the Keystone portfolio, which is currently in receivership with Ferrier Hodgson. However, the Melbourne-based pub group has taken an interest at the last minute, with a spokesperson suggesting that certain Keystone venues have piqued its interest.
“Previously we had discounted any interest in acquiring the Keystone portfolio, it's only been very recently that we have decided to reengage and discussions are underway regarding part of the portfolio," the spokesperson told TheShout.
Any Keystone purchases would cap off a very busy 18 months for Dixon Hospitality, which started it’s expansion in mid-2015 with the purchase of 16-pub portfolio of Open Door Pub Co, followed by the nine venues of Melbourne Venue Company. At the beginning of 2016, Dixon Hospitality staked its claim in Sydney with the purchase of the Drink N Dine venues from Jaime Wirth and Michael Delany, plus two sites in Barangaroo, Sydney’s newest entertainment precinct. It also purchased the entire Beer Deluxe portfolio throughout Victoria and New South Wales.
The Dixon spokesperson would not specify which Keystone venues the group was interested in.