Merivale (company)

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Merivale
TypePrivately held company
Industry
Founded1957; 64 years ago (1957)
FoundersJohn & Merivale Hemmes
Headquarters
Sydney
,
Australia
Key people
Justin Hemmes (CEO)
Services
  • Nightclubs
  • Pubs
  • Restaurants
Number of employees
~2,500 (2015)
WebsiteOfficial website

Merivale is an Australian privately held company, with property assets involved in the entertainment and hospitality sectors, predominately in Sydney, New South Wales.

Fashion years[]

It was founded in 1957 in Sydney by John and Merivale Hemmes, initially as a millinery in Sydney's Boulevard Arcade, later expanding into clothing. In 1959, the first House of Merivale fashion store was established in the Theatre Royal in Castlereagh Street. It expanded into a successful and influential high-fashion chain with three stores in Pitt Street, two in Melbourne and one in Canberra.[1]

Hospitality and property diversification[]

Merivale diversified into both hospitality and property interests, acquiring the Angel Hotel building in Pitt Street, which included a restaurant that reopened as a boutique, and was the first item in a substantial property portfolio.[2]

It expanded further into hospitality in the early 1990s with the Merivale restaurant in Potts Point, as it began winding down its fashion interests, closing the last fashion outlet in 1996.[2][3]

Hemmes' son, Justin, took over the business in the mid-1990s and aggressively diversified into hospitality, operating more than 70 nightclubs, pubs and restaurants, primarily in Sydney, by 2020.[4][2][5][6] Notable assets include Hotel CBD,[7] the Newport Arms Hotel[8] and the Slip Inn.[9]

In 2019 a class action was commenced against Merivale, alleging A$129 million in under-payment of employees. Merivale denied the claims. As of 2020, the matter is ongoing in the Federal Court.[10][11][12][13]

References[]

  1. ^ "Husband, Wife Fashion Team". Canberra Times. 5 December 1975. p. 15 – via Trove, National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c John Hemmes obituary: Merivale Group founder and hospitality legend with sharp eye for fashion and restaurants Sydney Morning Herald 6 March 2015
  3. ^ The Merivale effect: an insight into Sydney’s hospitality empire Hospitality Magazine 30 November 2015
  4. ^ Molloy, Shannon (14 March 2020). "From notorious Sydney playboy to billion-dollar businessman: Justin Hemmes' life of luxe". The Chronicle. Toowoomba. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  5. ^ Our Story Merivale[self-published source?]
  6. ^ Sydney hospitality heavyweight Justin Hemmes calm at centre of Merivale expansion Good Food 6 October 2015
  7. ^ Hotel CBD Merivale[self-published source?]
  8. ^ "How Justin Hemmes snapped up the Newport Arms Hotel in dramatic late night $50m deal". Daily Telegraph. 18 March 2015.
  9. ^ Slip Inn Merivale[self-published source?]
  10. ^ Marin-Guzman, David (27 December 2019). "Justin Hemmes hit with $129m class action over underpayments". The Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  11. ^ Patty, Anna (27 December 2019). "Justin Hemmes' Merivale group says employees unlikely to benefit from class action". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  12. ^ "Merivale accused of $126 million wage theft". Hospitality Magazine. 10 March 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  13. ^ "Notice to Group Members" (PDF). Raymond Boulos v MRVL Investments Pty Ltd: NSD 2168/2019. Federal Court of Australia. 14 October 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2020.

External links[]

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