By Andy El-Bayeh, Co-founder and CEO, Example
What makes one pub the beating heart of its community while another fades into irrelevance?
It’s not million-dollar fit-outs, marble bar tops, or happy hour discounts. Great pubs aren’t built on aesthetics — they’re built on stories. They’re places where people feel a sense of belonging, where memories are made, and where the culture of a community is reflected back to its people.
Yet too many Australian pubs today are missing this crucial foundation. Rising costs, shifting consumer habits and growing competition have put them at a crossroads: they can either become interchangeable venues, or irreplaceable cultural landmarks. The difference lies in how deeply they understand — and invest in — their identity, long before a pint is poured or a tile is laid.
The Problem: Design Without Story
Too often, pubs are treated like real estate projects, not cultural institutions. Millions are spent on slick interiors, designer furniture and high-end finishes — only for the venue to open to a lukewarm reception. Why? Because it lacks soul.
A pub without a story is just four walls and a till.
And when there’s no narrative guiding the design, offering or experience, venues often fall into what I call the retrofit trap: realising too late that they’ve failed to connect, and spending years (and fortunes) trying to graft meaning onto their space through rebrands, panic marketing or more expensive renovations.
Cultural relevance can’t be retrofitted — it should be baked in from day one.
The Solution: Build Your Pub Around Its Story
The most enduring pubs don’t try to be everything to everyone — they focus on being something meaningful to someone. They understand their community’s history, identity and aspirations — and they design from there.
This is where placemaking comes in: the art of turning physical spaces into places that resonate emotionally, socially and culturally.
Here’s how pub owners can apply placemaking to create venues with genuine cultural gravity:
1. Start with Cultural Archaeology
Before redesigning your space or rewriting your menu, ask yourself: what’s the story here? Every venue has one – it just needs to be uncovered.
At Harbord Hotel (pictured above), we rebuilt around Freshwater’s surf culture and tight-knit beachside spirit. Perched near the break where Duke Kahanamoku introduced Australia to surfing in 1914, the pub has long been a gathering place for surfers, locals, and beach lovers. We honoured that legacy and layered it with a fresh energy that feels elevated yet unmistakably local.
At Merewether’s Beach Hotel, we leaned into Newcastle’s industrial grit and surf pride to create a venue that feels like a living memory for locals—and a discovery for visitors. It doesn’t shout to be seen; it reflects Newcastle back to its people, and in doing so, earns their loyalty.
2. Design for Conversation, Not Perfection
The pubs we remember aren’t flawless – they’re full of life and character.
Take The Espy in Melbourne: 12 bars, three stages, and a chaotic, electric energy that channels the city’s music history. It’s messy in all the right ways.
Design should invite curiosity. A mural of local legends, a hidden booth with a story, an unexpected touch – these are the things people talk about. Don’t aim for perfection. Aim for personality.
3. Build Community Through Rituals
Pubs thrive when they’re more than watering holes – they’re places of shared tradition.
Harbord Saturdays, for example, is a weekly DJ party that brings together locals, surf kids and music lovers. It’s free, it’s fun, and it’s become a Northern Beaches ritual – complete with surprise sets from names like Keli Holiday and Alex Hayes.
At The Henson in Newtown, the pub is basically the unofficial clubhouse of the Newtown Jets. It’s packed pre- and post-game, shows all the away matches, and champions a tier-two rugby league team in a way most venues wouldn’t even consider. That kind of love for local sport builds fierce loyalty.
4. Avoid Panic Marketing
When pubs miss the mark, the temptation is to reach for short-term gimmicks – theme nights, stunt content, giveaways. But these don’t build lasting connection.
What do people actually remember? Not the pendant lighting – but the surprise live band in the courtyard. Not the perfectly plated dish—but the quirk that made them smile.
5. Plan for Longevity
Cultural relevance isn’t static – it evolves. The strongest venues grow with their community by layering in new stories rather than overwriting old ones.
What’s changed since you opened? What new rituals are forming organically? What subcultures are emerging that you could elevate and celebrate?
Future-proofing a pub means designing for evolution – without losing your roots.
The Takeaway: Be More Than a Pub That Looks Good
A great pub isn’t defined by its fit-out or menu. It’s defined by how it makes people feel – and what they remember when they leave.
Before you invest another dollar in renovations or rebrands, ask yourself:
- What story does this place tell?
- Why does it matter to our community?
- What will people remember—and repeat—when they leave?
Because in the end, no one shares photos of bar stools. They share moments. They share memories. They share meaning.
And if you’ve done your job right, they’ll share your story – for generations to come.
Andy El-Bayeh is a cultural strategist and placemaking expert redefining how brands capture attention and create lasting impact. As the Co-founder and CEO of Example, Andy leads an earned-led culture agency that shapes Australia’s most talked-about brands, destinations, and experiences.
He drives influence and demand through strategic branding, placemaking and earned amplification for industry leaders like Diageo, Epochal Hotels and Accor.
Before founding Example, Andy served as the Director of Marketing and Creative at Merivale.