For Reilly, Tommy Hall is one of those people. The Cricketers Arms will be his first operation and, according to Reilly, he has won it. Hall’s vision for Cricketers is simple, he wants to have something for everyone.
“I’ve been working with locals to hear what they want for the future of the pub, receiving their feedback has been very valuable,” he said.
On three levels, the Cricketers are about 800 square feet. According to Hall, all this space has been misused. He has worked to turn all areas into usable space, including transforming a previously empty central bar into a sports bar and tearing down the wall separating the restaurant from the main bar.
The upper floor will also become a high-end whiskey bar.
He said he was grateful to have had the support of former owner Tim Condon, who backed up his plan for the pub’s future.
“My focus has always been that when you take care of the community, they will take care of you,” Hall said.
The pub’s Italian restaurant has been replaced by a Chinese pop-up, “Little Emerald,” run by Kim Douglas, the mastermind of Marrickville’s Pizza Madre vegetarian pizzeria.
The Cricketers Arms is Balmain’s second pub that was acquired by the Reilly group in two years, following the $ 8.5 million sale of the London hotel in July last year. The two historic sites join Reilly’s growing pub, which includes the Sydney Park Hotel in Newtown, the White Cockatoo Hotel in Petersham, The Henson in Marrickville and the Sutton Forest Inn in the southern highlands of the state.
Recently refurbished pubs
The Enmore Hotel, Enmore: Self-proclaimed “pub doctor” Ged Dore took over the Victorian three-story pub formerly known as Sly Fox in 2020, and restored it to the glory of the Whitlam-era pub, full of jukeboxes, tables billiards and orange chenille seats.
The Richmond Inn, Richmond: What began as a “paint lick” turned into a multi-million dollar renovation (including a ball pit and a Mediterranean brewery) when The Tilley & Wills Hotel Group took over this Hawkesbury hotel. 150 years old in 2021.
The Old Fitz, Woolloomooloo: The Odd Culture hospitality group carefully guided this iconic 160-year-old Woolloomooloo boozer to the post-confinement world, renewing its old-world charm and approaching talented young chefs to run the bistro.
The Illinois Hotel, Five Dock: Former Wallaby player Bill Young transformed the former Knights Club into a cozy, family-friendly place inspired by the bright colors and mid-century aesthetics of Palm Springs.
El Collaroy, Collaroy: Justin Hemmes of Merivale gave the Northern Beaches institution a simple and elegant renovation in 2018, with an ocean-inspired color palette, pastel murals and an outdoor terrace to take advantage of the wide sea views.
Bianca Hrovat
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The Reilly group has largely avoided the staffing crisis that has paralyzed much of the country’s hospitality industry since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Staff is probably the hardest part of hospitality for an operator. We’ve been lucky because we’ve always prioritized treating staff well, and that has paid dividends,” Reilly said.
He attributes his success to staffing his posts with people who enjoy working there. “It’s not a rocket science, hospitality is supposed to be hospitable,” he said.
“We don’t intend to reinvent the wheel, we just serve good food, good beer, good atmosphere.”
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