General News
10 January, 2025
Reid’s call time on hotel
Maryborough’s Bull and Mouth Hotel officially hit the market last month, marking the end of an era for owners Mick and Jo Reid.
After eight years, Maryborough’s iconic business, the Bull and Mouth Hotel, is up for sale as owner’s Jo and Mick Reid look to retirement.
The iconic Bull and Mouth Hotel has a market indication of $1.2 to $1.3 million and includes everything related to the business such as future bookings.
While stepping away from the Bull and Mouth Hotel wasn’t an easy decision for Jo and Mick to make last year, they both agreed that now feels right for them.
“We’ve decided it’s family time now. We’ve got grandchildren, and children ourselves, so it’s time,” Jo said.
Jo and Mick took over the lease of the hotel in 2017, ten years after the Bull and Mouth closed for multi-million dollar renovations.
Back then the Reid’s already had business experience in the hospitality industry, but as Mick told the Maryborough District Advertiser in 2017, they took it on because the Bull and Mouth is “something that Maryborough needs”.
“We were sick of watching people come and go and no one taking it on. It was time for us to make a move, we had done it before,” he said.
Jo thinks that the building has become a great community space for Maryborough.
“It’s great for the town, great for the community as well, to have it open. Something of this size, and the stature of it, and the significance of it I suppose in the middle of town which is good,” she said.
It’s a belief that can be seen in the pages of community events The Addy has covered from within the historic hotel walls.
The real estate agent involved in the sale, Kate Ashton, is excited to find and work with the new owners of the business not only because of the iconic gold rush era architecture that houses it but it’s place as a staple in the community.
“It’s an iconic part of our community. I’m privileged to be one of the faces introducing new people to Maryborough. I look at myself as an agent not just selling a property, or in this case a business, but welcoming someone to our amazing community,” she said.
“It’s really an unknown to so many people. They just don’t realise what prestige accommodation is there. This really is a hidden treasure. You just don’t know it’s there and available, it’s got a lift, you know.”
Along with all other aspects of the business, Ms Ashton points out the benefit of the Bull and Mouth Hotel’s long-term lease (two decades for 119-123 High Street started in 2022 and one decade for 125 High Street which commenced the same year).
“Which is very beneficial for a new business owner. They don’t want to buy a business that may have a short lease and then have lots of changes. Whereas this one is fantastic because it has such a long lease,” she said.
What a buyer of the Bull and Mouth Hotel is getting isn’t just something tangible, instead it’s also a legacy, one that the pair said they’re ready to pass on.
“I think what we’ve set up is a great start for anyone wanting to be in this industry, and they can take it further. So, I’m okay with [the sale], someone will come along that’s got good hospitality background I’m sure,” Jo said.