Jon Adgemis’ Public Hospitality group has lost another key partner today, as award-winning bar collective The Maybe Group announces it is splitting from the Sydney-based group. The change will take effect immediately, with all venues remaining open and trading as usual.
The move follows a number of operational changes and departures in recent months, including group culinary director Clayton Wells, who announced he was stepping down from the role in May.
Last month it was reported Greek fine-diner Alpha, which had been set to welcome chef George Calombaris under Public Hospitality’s management, was no longer part of the group’s portfolio.
In November, Gourmet Traveller was the first to report Love Tilly Group’s departure from the hospitality empire, which saw the immediate shuttering of Fabbrica Pasta Bar in Balmain and La Salut in Redfern.
The Maybe Group, renowned for its award-winning bar Maybe Sammy and sibling venues Sammy Junior and Maybe Frank, was acquired by Public Hospitality in April 2023. The partnership also welcomed the vibrant Oxford Street tequila bar El Primo Sanchez, which will now transfer from Public to The Maybe Group.
Today, it was announced that The Maybe Group will retain ownership and operation of Maybe Sammy and Maybe Frank and will continue to operate El Primo Sanchez under a licence agreement. The team expect the transition to be seamless with “no change to the guest experience” at those venues.
“[Co-founder] Stef and I believe we can best serve our venues by bringing them back under The Maybe Group’s wing,” says co-founder Vince Lombardo in a statement.
Public Hospitality has been in the headlines repeatedly this year, with owner Jon Adgemis reportedly striking a $400 million deal to refinance the hospitality giant and save it from collapse, according to the Australian Financial Review. It’s understood the deal came with the proviso that he sell “a handful of assets to pay off heavy debts”.
The deal follows a turbulent period for the group, which saw it sell Annandale’s Empire Hotel, as reported by the Australian Financial Review in April. A month later, it was reported that Adgemis’s home and office were visited by the Australian Taxation Office.
Public Hospitality, which was established in 2021, purchased a number of high-profile hotels and pubs during the Covid-19 pandemic and embarked on a period of rapid expansion. Its portfolio includes prized Sydney venues such as Oxford House, The Strand Hotel, The Norfolk Hotel and The Lady Hampshire, as well as Melbourne’s Saint Hotel and The Clifton Hotel. The group also enlisted a string of top chefs to launch new restaurants, including Guy Grossi and Karen Martini.
Last year, it was reported that Public Hospitality bought 16 significant Sydney venues, as well as purchasing Bondi behemoth Noah’s Backpackers for a reported $68 million.
In May 2023, the Australian Financial Review reported that Public Hospitality was “groaning under the weight of more than $500 million of short-term debt at usurious interest rates” and that “by Public’s own calculations, it has already burned $95 million on interest.”
Public Hospitality currently cites 14 hospitality businesses on its website, mostly in Sydney, with two in Victoria. Its mission is “to create Australia’s premier millennial lifestyle network of hospitality venues” according to Australia Managed Funds.
Gourmet Traveller has contacted Public Hospitality for comment but they did not respond before publication.
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