One of the Sunshine Coast’s landmark pubs has changed hands and there are substantial extensions and renovations in its near future.
Prolific hotelier The Comiskey Group will this month take over The Imperial Hotel at Eumundi, in the Queensland holiday hotspot’s hinterland.
Established in 1911, The Imperial Hotel is across the road from Australia’s largest open-air markets, the Eumundi Markets.
The sale of the 112-year-old property includes an on-site distillery, drive-through bottle shop, the Eumundi Brewery, and 15-key boutique accommodation called HOLA.
The Imperial joins Comiskey’s expanding portfolio that includes Sandstone Point Hotel, Eatons Hill Hotel, and Samford Hotel.
The double-storey Imperial sits on a 5581sq m corner block and boasts classic Queenslander architecture with a modern touch.
The Comiskey Group said it plans to keep The Imperial Hotel’s iconic Queenslander facade but give the venue’s interior a major renovation in coming months.
The group intends to add two new restaurants, a gaming room and TAB to the hotel, as well as reinvigorate the existing spaces.
Off the back of its experience with its live music venues Eatons Hill and Sandstone Point Hotel, the Imperial’s live band room will be activated, with the group planning to stage more events showcasing local musicians and talent from the world.
Put to the market about a year ago, The Imperial Hotel and its assets, were “an unmissable opportunity for the Comiskey family”.
Director Rob Comiskey said he was looking forward to working with Lion, who operate the on-site Eumundi Brewery.
“Being able to own such an iconic hotel and brewery in such a special community was an unmissable opportunity,” he said.
“The Eumundi Brewery brand is a local treasure, well-known across the state. We can’t wait to begin this unique partnership with Lion, combining our differing industry expertise to further build our businesses and support the growth of the brand on a national scale.”
The Comiskey Group began its hotel operation in the Moreton Bay region, north of Brisbane, before stepping into the Sunshine Coast.
The purchase of The Imperial Hotel marks the group’s second hotel on the Sunshine Coast within the year, just months after opening The Doonan in the Noosa Valley.
After owning the property in Doonan for 15 years, The Comiskey Group partnered with hospitality veterans, Josh Jones and Neville Allen to open that watering hole in March of this year.
In April this year, former Cromwell property boss Paul Weightman’s pub and grub fund snapped up the Comiskey Group’s Beachmere Hotel for an undisclosed sum.
