$53 million pubs upgrade to facilitate jobs in QLD
Twenty-four Queensland pubs are about to be renovated, with $53 million to be spent by hospitality group Australian Venue Co. on upgrades.
Australian Venue Co., owns over 160 pubs across Australia and New Zealand and plans to renovate more than 24 of its Queensland pubs within the next four years, including seven hotels by the end of this financial year.
"Our mission is to revitalise the pub landscape in Queensland and also we feel like we owe the Queensland market, which has been particularly loyal through COVID, some capital investment," said Craig Ellison, chief operation officer of AVC.
"We're looking to clean up a lot of these pubs and create a good environment for the customers so they can feel really comfortable coming in two or three times a week." Mr Ellison said.
A major focus of these renovations is adding outdoor spaces, which has has become more and more necessary due to COVID-19.
The group is also looking at offering affordable drink and food options, being run by locals and having potential for each venue to employ an extra 10-15 workers once refurbishment is completed.
"It's a really exciting time for the business with investing and also those opportunities for creating local jobs," Mr Ellison said.
Irit Jackson, 15th February 2021
