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Hospitality group buys Maybe Sammy bar

Australian hospitality group Public has acquired the company behind award-winning Sydney bar Maybe Sammy for an undisclosed sum.

Maybe Sammy bar
Sydney bar Maybe Sammy has won a number of awards since its opening in 2019

Effective immediately, Sydney-headquartered Public has purchased ‘longstanding partner’ The Maybe Group.

The Maybe Group operates four Sydney sites: acclaimed cocktail venue Maybe Sammy, pizza joint Maybe Frank, coffee-focused cafe and bar Sammy Junior, and sky-high cocktail den Dean & Nancy on 22.

The two groups recently collaborated on the opening of Sydney’s Mexican-inspired bar El Primo Sanchez in February 2023. The Tequila bar was opened on the ground floor of Public’s The Rose Hotel on 27-33 Oxford St, Paddington.

Vince Lombardo, owner and co-director at The Maybe Group, said: “We have an established and progressive working relationship with Public.

“The success of El Primo Sanchez and the feeling of family within Public meant there was no question when it came to joining Jon [Adgemis, Public’s executive chairman] and the team.”

Public owns more than 20 properties including Sydney venues Oxford House, The Strand Hotel, and Lady Hampshire.

According to Public, the two groups follow the same values of providing ‘guest-first, neighbourhood-driven hospitality to extraordinary standards’.

The acquisition will ‘enhance’ existing sites and bring ‘venue concepts to life with exceptional food and beverage propositions’.

Visitors to Public venues can expect ‘world-class cocktails’ and ‘new spaces for neighbourhood-favourite brands’.

There are also ‘innovative projects’ on the horizon, including restoration plans, the yet-to-be-named hotel in Bondi, Kurrajong Hotel in Erskineville, and The Town Hall in Balmain.

Lombardo added: “We’re feeling more inspired than ever with the exciting new concepts underway, and we’re looking forward to welcoming guests into the next generation of hospitality with Public and The Maybe Group.”

Planning has also begun for the second Maybe Cocktail Festival in 2024, which will expand to new locations such as Melbourne and Byron Bay.

The inaugural festival was held from 12-19 April in Sydney and saw 16 bars from across the world host a series of free events.

Maybe Sammy was awarded Best International Bar Team at the 2022 Spirited Awards, and made the shortlist for the same category in 2020, as well as Best International Cocktail Bar.

Last year, we spoke to Martin Hudak, co-founder of Maybe Sammy, which opened in 2019.

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