By james art 
The Milestone Hotel in Dubo is the latest pub in the Harvest Hotels portfolio, which reveals a new appearance that has undergone a six-week repair to expand the pub imprint and revive space.
Dating since 1881, the pub was acquired by Harvest Hotels in 2021, now undergoing its first renovation under the group’s property. Key superstructures include removing a bottle store in the field, adding a new public bar with betting facilities and expansion of the bistro.
Harvest Hotels co -founder and CEO, Fraser Havton, says: “There are many great, wide format pubs in oak, but what makes the main stone unique is its main location and features such as Heritage Facade and Sandstone Chambers.
“We wanted to draw from these elements to create a pub of distinctive character – part of the classic corner pub, part of a freshly transformed place – which can now take its place as a favorite new local.
“We have explored many different ideas regarding the scale of renovation, but what really prompted us was the goal of turning it into a real advantage for CBD – welcoming without fuss that everyone would like to visit for a cold drink and bite to eat he explained.
New furniture, bodies and equipment have increased the experience at the Milestone Hotel, along with a new entertainment composition and an updated food menu, including the classic of the pub and seasonal special offers.
Describing the feeling of a renovated pub, Hautton told Australian hotelier: “I would have to say that the new appearance of a cornerstone is the most important – the ideal example of a really good, iconic angular pub and that’s exactly what we were trying.
“Most of the work was done at the entrance level, where we took out the bottle store to make room for a brand new public bar. Then this change allowed us to expand the bistro, adding much more seating areas and creating a comfortable space for bigger groups and more evenings.
“The finances are what you would expect to see in a classic pub – tartan carpets, a beautiful timber bar, great big live and racing screens, a combination of wooden and leather seating and hot lighting, but all executed in Modern style, “he continued.
Portfolio
The Milestone Hotel is one of the five pubs in the hotel portfolio to get a renovation in the last 12 months, along with the William Farrer Hotel in Wagga Wagga, NorthSide Hotel in Albury, Aussie Inn in Adelaide and Woy Woy Hotel.
According to HAUGTON, current repairs are crucial for the Harvest Hotel portfolio strategy, as more plain for the coming year.
“We are currently in the last stages of planning at the Jerrabomberra Hotel in Quenbeyan, which we bought last year, and we hope to start working on it soon. We will continue two other projects in the first half of this year, one in Adelaide and the other at the Vic Hotel in Wagga.
“As we focused on deploying repairs to mature our existing portfolio, we always investigate the opportunity to meet the right pub in the right harvest area,” Hautton added.
While each of the renovation is unique, the design process maintains the local community of the Front of the mind in order to make every pub attractive to the broader demographic information to customers, from physical improvements to operational aspects.
“We really focus on what the community wants and needs when developing new projects. We spend a lot of time conversations with locals, diving in demographic trends, and looking at growth forecasts to make sure that what we are building really adds value, “says Hautton.
“We make sure that the layout, functions and proposals of the pub meet the demographic requirements of the area. The more spaces we can create, which are attractive to additional groups of people who otherwise do not often affect the pub, the more successful the development will be.
“Recently, we have noticed a great demand for more fun, events and experiences; So, we are sure to adapt our cosmic and operational functions to maintain different forms of live music and other entertainment and that we have a strong line of weekly activity to meet these requests. Our goal is to create a place where people come for more than food and drinks – we want them to come for a great experience, as this is what makes them come back week after week, “he continued.
At the back of several major projects, Haughton is pleased to announce a sales attack after the advantage.
“In any case, they met and exceeded budgets after food development, drinks, retail and games-some of significant margins. And just as important, they were well received by our patrons, which is crucial to any long -term success, “he explained.