Stephen J. Hunt - Find. Build. Sell.: How I Turned a $100 Backyard Bar Into a $100 Million Pub Empire

STEPHEN J. HUNT

First published in 2022 by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd

42 McDougall St, Milton Qld 4064
Office also in Melbourne

John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 2022

The moral rights of the author have been asserted

ISBN: 978-0-730-39986-5

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (for example, a fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review), no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, communicated or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission. All inquiries should be made to the publisher at the address above.

Cover image: MilenaKatzer/Getty Images
Cover design by Wiley

Disclaimer
The material in this publication is of the nature of general comment only, and does not represent professional advice. It is not intended to provide specific guidance for particular circumstances and it should not be relied on as the basis for any decision to take action or not take action on any matter which it covers. Readers should obtain professional advice where appropriate, before making any such decision. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the author and publisher disclaim all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any person taking or not taking action based on the information in this publication.

Some events, people and timeframes have been condensed, merged or truncated to keep the story rolling along.

This book is dedicated to my wife Fidelma and my children Holly, Suzie, Dermot, Aidan and Rory.

Writing this book has been a huge endeavour and one that could not have been possible without the support of my family and wider team. It's a representation of my journey through life (so far) and an opportunity to share the insights and experiences I have gleaned from that journey. I would like to shine a light on the many people who have walked this path with me, who have helped me and contributed a chapter of what has become the story of my life. I am grateful to you all.

Firstly, to my wife Fidelma and my childrenHolly, Suzie, Dermot, Aidan and Roryfor your ongoing and unconditional love and support. I could not do what I do without your encouragement. You make it all worthwhile. (And to my two beautiful dogs, Dusty and Snoop, for helping me remember that at heart, I am a Hunter.)

To my mum Suzanne, my dad Peter and my siblings (David, Joanne, Phillip and Elizabeth) for the love and support you provided to me growing up, and a big thanks to my eldest brother, Dave, for being my rock and a constant voice of reason and sensibility.

To the Backyard Beer Tender: my childhood buddies, all legends in your own way, and in your own lunchtimes. You're a huge part of my life, then and now, as are your families. Thank you. In no particular order:

• James Boyle
• Daniel Wheeler
• Andrew Stevens
• Stephen Duggan
• Paul Hester
• Ben Taylor
• Neil Coyle
• Jon Farrell
• Gavin Yu
• Grant Lyndon
• Nick Russell
• Simon Loughery
• David Sutton
• Andrew Cairns
• Jane Sandral
• Katie Chad
• Belinda Driver
• Bridie O'Sullivan
• Sharnie Lofgren
• Emma Hales
• Penny Zatmury
• Louise Malone
• Michelle Jeffers
• Libby Ellis
• Lucinda Maloney
• Jane Collins
• Catherine Hamilton
• If I have forgotten anyone, I apologise.

To the Hunt Hospitality International (HHI) team: true champions in every way, for having my back and for your loyalty. You are my extended family. I hope I do as much for you as you have done for me:

• Kris Gladwell
• Jason Archer
• Ricci-lee Wheeler
• Corey Park and Hannah Purdy
• Tony and Cat Jackson
• Corey Baker
• Wendy Berlin
• Terri Jones
• Jeremy Cusack

My chief advisors:

• Cath Antaw
• Andrew Wennerbom
• Alex Thompson
• Simon Rutherford
• Marin Kennedy

To my investors and business partners past and present for your support. In no particular order:

• Brent and Katia Penfold
• Tim Wearne
• Michael Mitrovits
• Annette Pulbrook
• Kathy Richardson
• John Curnow
• Graeme Cunningham
• Gus Gilkison
• Nick Wormald

A special thank you to Greg Maitland for being my valued mentor; what you don't know about putting a deal together isn't worth knowing. Thank you.

To the Bayfield family, especially Wayne. You were great mentors who really taught me the importance of the community/pub relationship.

To the team at Westpac bank, Jeff Hurdis, Michelle Smith and Luba Finch, for being such honest and helpful bankers.

To James Brindley from Lion, Peter Filipovic from CUB, Michael Ritoli and Fred Jones from CUB Special Beverage, the team at LMG, especially Aidan Desmond and Amanda Williams for being such great supporters, the Australian Hotels Association (AHA) and in particular John Thorpe (RIP), Scott Leach, John Wheelan, John Green, Sean Morrissey and Phillip Ryan.

To the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, Hunter Business Chamber and the Bar and Nightclub Show Las Vegas for your support.

To all the sporting teams that we support, and who support us:

• The Wildfires (Hunter Rugby)
• The Maitland Blacks Rugby Club
• The Wahroonga Tigers
• The Hornsby Lions
• The Bogan Bulls (Nyngan).

And lastly, to Bernadette Schwerdt, for the time, effort and support you have put into helping bring my business story to life. Over countless conversations, hundreds of emails and thousands of words, you have helped me distil a rollicking and rowdy life into a book that I hope will be of value to many others. From when we first met, I knew you were the right person to help me tell my story, and my trust and instinct has been rewarded. Thank you for guiding me through this journey and for providing me with an outstanding learning experience. This book would not be the success it is without you.

And finally, a sincere and heartfelt thank you to every customer who has walked into one of our pubs. You are the reason we are here.

The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it.

Epictetus

My name is Hunt. Stephen Hunt. Clearly, my ancestors were hunters, and so am I. My name reflects perfectly what I doso much so, I bought a dog, a German shorthaired pointer (Snoop, on the left), in honour of that ancestry. He is one of the best hunting dogs you can find. I bought him because he reminds me of who I am, and what I was destined to be.

Snoop, on the left, the best hunting dog you can find.

In short, I am a Hunter. I track down good pubs that have the potential to be great. I round up the team who can help me restore them to their former glory. I sniff out the best deals to maximise efficiencies. I then deliver them to my investors, and do it all again. I'll stop with the dog analogy you get the drift.