The Sun Hotel is the latest Byron Bay pub to be sold in a market that continues to attract publicans and investors of all types.
The centrally-located Sun Hotel has been divested by the Flannery family’s KTQ Group, and acquired by an investment group led by Winchester Group. The Winchester Group has been involved in the redevelopment of such well-known pubs as the Beach Hotel in Byron for Moelis Australia Hotel Management, and the Regatta Hotel in Brisbane.
Winchester Group director Shaun Dunleavy said the group was excited to return to Byron Bay with the redevelopment and operation of the Sun Hotel.
“A change of ownership will allow an opportunity for the venue to enter the next phase of its lifecycle and reimagine itself as a family friendly environment and as one of Byron Bay’s iconic venues.”
The Sun Hotel is situated on a 7,653sqm parcel of land and includes a bistro, drive-through bottle shop, TAB and separate bar. The site is also located within a B4 Mixed Use Zone, allowing for plenty of development opportunities for the new owners, who also have development experience in the retail, childcare and fitness industries. For now though, the Winchester Group is focused on refreshing the pub itself.
“With Byron seeing major changes in recent years, we want to create a venue with strong roots in the community, that’s welcoming to everyone, source suppliers locally and offer good old-fashioned value for money,” stated Dunleavy.
KTQ Group development director Jeremy Holmes wished the new owners well with the venue.
“We have really enjoyed building and operating this venue over the last six years and the community support has been great.
“It’s time for another operator to take the reins and reimagine the offering. We’re pleased to see the Winchester Group step forward to do so.”
The Sun Hotel transaction was overseen by Wayne Bunz and Paul Fraser of CBRE Hotels, with Bunz stating that the demand for the greater Byron Bay area remains unabated.
“Byron continues to be the most sought-after destination in Australia, and we continue to be inundated with enquiry for investors seeking a foothold in the northern NSW area.”
Recent acquisitions in the Byron area include both the Lennox Hotel and the Illawong Hotel by The Sydney Collective, as well as the record-breaking acquisition of the Beach Hotel at the beginning of 2020 by Moelis Australia Hotel Management.