Merivale (company)

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

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

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. 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
  6. Sydney hospitality heavyweight Justin Hemmes calm at centre of Merivale expansion Good Food 6 October 2015
  7. Hotel CBD Merivale
  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
  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.


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