Hayward buys The Floreat

ONE of Perth’s most successful hospitality players has ended his five-year search for a western suburbs venue to develop with the purchase of The Floreat Hotel.

Geoff Hayward told WA Business News he bought the 850 square metre pub-cum-restaurant and live music venue for $825,000 earlier this month.

Mr Hayward, the man behind the Brisbane Hotel, Cino to Go, Luxe Bar and Bar One, said after seven weeks of negotiation to purchase the tavern and bar, which were not functioning in terms of profitability under the previous owners, the site was being prepared for a complete overhaul.

He will spend upwards of $2 million redeveloping the property with the aim of opening before the end of the year.

Staff from the Brisbane will be brought across to the Floreat to help with the opening.

“It will have a fantastic bar and beer garden and it’ll have some great pub classics on the menu,” Mr Hayward said.

“We’re going to increase the wine and food offering a little bit and we’re certainly not having bands or live entertainment.”

“It’s very hard to have a band room next to a fine dining restaurant.”

Mr Hayward said consistency was paramount in establishing and then running a successful hospitality venture, indicating he would once again utilise the services of long-serving architect, Graham Taylor of Taylor & Robinson, and builder Greg Nicol (from Network Interiors) for the project.

“You can open with a lot of razzamatazz but you need to follow through because people just won’t take a bit of marble and a nice hand basin, you’ve got to follow through with your product,” he said.

The Floreat’s plant and equipment, which Mr Hayward suggested could have cost $1 million when new five or six years ago, was put up for auction this week and expected to fetch about $50,000.