The lease of a well known hotel and pub south of Wagga has been put on the market.
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The family-style Uranquinty Hotel is asking for $130,000 for the remainder of its fixed lease plus stock.
Publicans Desmond Bowditch and his wife, Rhonda, have been operating the premise for the past 16 months.
However, the pair is seeking to retire and they said it would suit a younger couple looking to work for themselves.
“It’s been too much for me and my wife at the moment,” Mr Bowditch said.
“I’m 64 and she’s turning 60, and she’s not all that well at the moment.
“It’s a potentially great pub for the right couple.”
The premise fronts the Olympic Highway and has no other competition within the vicinity.
It features a main bar area with a pokies room, TAB area, dining room, commercial kitchen, beer garden and covered entertainment areas.
“Eventually, Wagga will move this way and Uranquinty will be a suburb,” Mr Bowditch said.
“The rental market is cheaper than Wagga and it’s quicker from here to central than it is from Lake Albert.”
Rental is about $1700 per week.
The owners are working on selling two of the five poker machines to reduce the rent to $1200.
“Most time there are not enough players, but there’ll still be three machines, which will be updated,” Mr Bowditch said.
As for entertainment, Mr Bowditch said it was the one component that can be rejuvenated by new, energetic operators.
“The pub’s been pretty good traffic wise, but entertainment’s key for promoting the place,” Mr Bowditch said.
“That’s an area where a young couple, who doesn’t mind a lot of hard work, can help improve.”
While Mr Bowditch said there were many features, a challenge lately had been the effect of police operations on the highway.
“RBTs are a problem for little pubs, but you can’t do much about them,” he said.
Real estate broker Peter Campbell said people who have been making inquiries are typically in their 40s.
“They might’ve had experience in the hospitality industry and are looking to control a business rather than work in one,” Mr Campbell said.
“There’s also a very successful bakery not far from the hotel, so that’s a traffic generator.
“Trade has been from mostly locals and it has a good atmosphere.”
Mr Campbell said that inquiries so far are mostly from Wagga and further afield.
“It seems like a well established plan to attract buyers from cities when it comes to small hotels,” he said.
