By Rebecca Harris and Ian Neubauer
TheShout speaks with Hugos Group co-owner, Dave Evans, as he and his team prepare to officially launch the group’s largest and most ambitious project to date.
TheShout: Tonight is the grand opening of Hugos Manly and you’ve got a huge launch party with celebrities, media and all the usual suspects. Can you tell us what those lucky enough to score an invitation can expect to see?
Evans: We’ve actually done two launches, one for people on the Northern Beaches, which was last Thursday, and one tonight for everyone on the other side of the bridge. Tonight we’ve got a great boat departing from Kings Street Wharf with Champagne, oysters… the whole deal. There’ll be DJs on deck and the boat will take everyone over to Hugos Manly where we’ll see the beautiful new restaurant.
TheShout: How long has the project taken to come to fruition and what was the inspiration behind it?
Evans: We’ve been working on this for a year and a half and we started building in November last year. What was the inspiration for it? Someone came up to me and said: ‘We’ve got this beautiful space on the wharf here, would you like to build something?’ And why wouldn’t you? We’re on a pier in Sydney in an iconic spot, with an iconic building and amazing 270-degree views.
TheShout: You’ve done very well in the eastern suburbs with your nightclubs, restaurants and catering company. How have you adapted your latest venture to suit Sydney’s north shore?
Evans: I don’t really think we’ve had to. The clientele are pretty much the same. We’ve been open for five days now and everyone says it’s all really good. We haven’t really done anything differently.
TheShout: Can you tell me a bit about the team of bartenders you’ve assembled? Who’s leading it? What will they be doing different?
Evans: We’ve got some new staff, but we’ve also taken across some of the old guys. Adam Polly has come across, who’s been with us for eight years. We’ve pretty much taken the same concept, but with a slightly larger menu. It’s Hugos, but on the other side of the bridge.
TheShout: And finally, where did the name Hugos came from?
Evans: We made it up. There is no Hugos.