Major Hospitality Player Public Has Acquired the Group Behind Australia’s Best-Ranked Bar, Maybe Sammy

The rapidly expanding Public Hospitality group has been busy, recently reinventing a clutch of old-school pubs such as The Strand in Darlinghurst, Redfern’s Norfolk Hotel and Alexandria’s 154-year-old Camelia Grove Hotel. Now Public has acquired the Maybe Group, which owns Maybe Sammy – named Australia’s best bar four years in a row by the World’s 50 Best – plus Dean & Nancy on 22, Sammy Junior and Maybe Frank.

It follows Public’s recent partnership with the Maybe Group (run by Martin Hudak, Vince Lombardo and Stefano Catino) on Mexican bar and diner El Primo Sanchez , which opened in Paddington in February.

The acquisition is a case of “stronger together”, as Public’s growing portfolio of 20-plus venues (which now counts Maybe Sammy, Dean & Nancy, Sammy Junior and Maybe Frank among them) is joined by the Maybe Group’s top-tier execution to enhance the delivery of new and existing venues. That means you can expect to see some world-class cocktails at Public venues, plus a suite of new projects on the horizon.

“Public already [has] an impressive portfolio of venues so for us, it’s about adding even more value to their existing hospitality experiences,” Lombardo tells Broadsheet. “You’ll get a taste of that for Cinco de Mayo, as we have the team from El Primo Sanchez curating a bespoke Mexican food and drink offering for Oxford House Pool Bar.”

Upcoming projects include a yet-to-be-named hotel in Bondi, Kurrajong Hotel in Erskineville and the Town Hall in Balmain.

“Public has grown at an incredible pace over the past 12 months and we are continuing this trajectory as we acquire the Maybe Group,” adds Jon Adgemis, Public’s executive chairman.

“We don’t know everything and we’re not too proud to admit it, which is why a demonstrated and effective method of working with those who do is welcomed at Public.”

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