The Southern Hotel

What The Southern Hotel does

The Southern Hotel is a privately held, family-owned pub and hospitality complex established in 1986 in Kearneys Spring, Toowoomba, Queensland. It operates a multi-venue configuration under a single roof that includes Café Inferno (café, 7:30am–5pm), Fire & Ice (family restaurant, 7 days, 7:30am–9pm), The Terrace (outdoor dining with fire pit), Bar 839 (sports bar operating 10am–4am with pool, darts, and TAB), the Drop Bears kids play area, a gaming room with 45 electronic gaming machines (Dragon Link, Dollar Storm, Lightning Link) plus Keno, and private function spaces. The complex is supported by a two-lane drive-through bottle shop adjacent to the hotel and three additional Bottlemart retail locations across South Toowoomba, Harristown, and Rangeville.

The company monetises across six streams: food & beverage sales across the four dining venues; gaming machine and Keno turnover in the dedicated gaming room; retail bottle shop transactions across four locations; a five-tier membership loyalty program (Green through Platinum) generating repeat visitation through 10% F&B discount, daily bonus points (40–500 depending on tier), and birthday savings; private functions and events (weddings, corporate, birthdays, wakes, Christmas parties) priced on minimum-spend rather than hire-fee basis; and TAB sports betting commissions from the in-venue terminal network. Menu unit pricing spans $9.80–$52.90 mains with promotional anchors such as the $14.90 toastie-coffee combo, the $29 400g Sunday steak-and-schooner special, and 25% breakfast happy hour.

The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer and venue-based: foot traffic driven by live sport (NRL, AFL, UFC, State of Origin), footy tipping competitions, weekly specials, and community sponsorships of local sporting clubs, supplemented by Instagram, Facebook, an eNewsletter, and a mobile app for member-exclusive savings. Headcount is stated at 51–100 employees; ownership is local and independent with no parent company, PE/VC backing, or publicly disclosed revenue. Technology is described as standard hospitality POS and gaming machine systems with no proprietary technology components, no API, and no SDK integrations. The business differentiates primarily through venue breadth, community embeddedness since 1986, and regulatory entitlements (gaming and liquor licences) rather than through technology or product innovation.

Name

The Southern Hotel

Legal name

The Southern Hotel

Website

https://southernhotel.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Southern Hotel is a family-owned Toowoomba pub established in 1986, operating a multi-venue complex with four dining outlets, a 45-machine gaming room, sports bar, kids play area, function spaces, and four bottle shops serving the regional Queensland community through direct-to-consumer venue traffic and a tiered membership loyalty program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pub and Hospitality Services

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (72241), Food Services and Drinking Places (722)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Neighborhood & Sports Bars (THAFAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Bars (CRANACAC), Gaming Café/Bar Hybrid Venues (Food & Beverage + Competitive Play) (MPAFALAD), Neighborhood Bars & Taverns (CRANACAA)

Keywords

• Pub dining services
• Gaming machine venue
• Sports bar hospitality
• Bottle shop retail
• Function event hosting

Headquarters

HQ city

Drayton

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Food & Beverage Sales: Revenue from multiple dining venues including Café Inferno, Fire & Ice restaurant, The Terrace outdoor dining, and Bar 839. Offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner with diverse menus spanning share plates, mains, burgers, pizza, pasta, salads, and kids meals.
2. Gaming Revenue: Casino-style gaming room with 45 gaming machines featuring popular titles including Dragon Link, Dollar Storm, and Lightning Link. Additional Keno outlets provide supplementary gaming revenue. Complimentary refreshments provided to gaming patrons.
3. Bottle Shop Retail: Drive-through bottle shop located next to main hotel plus three additional Bottlemart locations across Toowoomba. Offers craft beer, major brands, and local favourites with regular catalogue specials and delivery options.
4. Membership & Loyalty Program: Multi-tiered membership program (Green, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) offering 10% off food & beverage, bonus points on purchases, birthday meal savings up to $20, daily bonus points, and random SMS member discounts.
5. Functions & Events: Private function spaces for events including weddings, birthdays, corporate functions, wakes, and Christmas parties. Catering for seated and cocktail-style occasions with banquets and platter service. No room hire fee; minimum spend required.
6. TAB Sports Betting: State-of-the-art TAB facilities in the sports bar with touch screens, Bet-Busters, Giddy-Up, and race guides. Complements the sports viewing experience in Bar 839.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Southern Hotel is a multi-venue pub and hospitality complex offering all-day food and beverage service across Café Inferno, Fire & Ice restaurant, The Terrace outdoor dining, and Bar 839 sports bar. It also operates 45 gaming machines with Keno and TAB betting facilities, a drive-through bottle shop plus three additional Bottlemart retail outlets, dedicated kids play area (Drop Bears), and private function spaces for events. The business runs a tiered membership loyalty program (Green to Platinum) offering points, discounts, and member-exclusive promotions.

Product overview

The Southern Hotel is a family-owned Toowoomba pub offering a multi-venue hospitality experience. The core offering comprises multiple distinct dining and entertainment venues: Fire & Ice (family dining restaurant), Café Inferno (café), Bar 839 (sports bar), and The Terrace (outdoor dining). Supporting these are entertainment amenities including the Drop Bears kids play area, a gaming room with 45 machines and TAB facilities, bottle shops with drive-through service, and functions/events hosting capabilities. The business operates a membership loyalty program with tiered benefits and offers regular promotional specials across all outlets. The venue serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily with menus ranging from share plates and burgers to premium steaks and desserts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fire & Ice Restaurant Family dining restaurant operating all-day from 11am, featuring award-winning family dining areas, steaks, burgers, and access to the dedicated kids play area. Casual dining in a relaxed environment for families and groups.
• Café Inferno Café open 7 days a week from 7:30am serving coffee, fresh juices, and breakfast options. Located within The Southern Hotel complex.
• Bar 839 Sports Bar Sports bar featuring multiple screens with state-of-the-art sound, pool tables, electronic dart boards, Keno and TAB facilities, and a full food menu. Open 10am-4am daily. Serves local and international beers, wine, and spirits.
• The Terrace Outdoor Dining
• Drop Bears at The Southern Kids Play Area
• Gaming Room
• TAB Betting Facilities
• Bottle Shop Retail
• Functions & Events Hosting
• Membership Loyalty Program
• Weekly Specials and Promotions

Quantifiable outcome

• 10% member discount on food and beverage
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Redcape Property Group: ASX-listed pub operator with a portfolio of freehold-going-concern pubs across regional NSW and Queensland; comparable business model with gaming, F&B, and accommodation verticals in regional catchments.
• Australian Venue Co. Privately-held national pub operator with 180+ venues across Australia, focused on multi-venue pub experiences including dining, sports viewing, gaming, and events; comparable in format and product mix to The Southern Hotel though at much greater scale.
• Hotel Metropole Toowoomba: Heritage Toowoomba hotel/pub with multi-venue hospitality offering including dining, gaming, and function spaces; competes for the same families, sports fans, and event customers.
• Royal Hotel Toowoomba: Long-established Toowoomba pub offering dining, gaming, and entertainment venues in the same local market; comparable in venue format and regional positioning.
• Federal Hotel Toowoomba: Direct local competitor in the Toowoomba pub market with comparable multi-venue offering including dining, gaming, sports bar, and live entertainment; competes for the same local catchment customers.
• Irish Club Hotel Toowoomba: Toowoomba multi-venue pub with sports bar, gaming, dining, and live music; comparable local competitor targeting similar sports-focused and socialising customer segments.
• ALH Group (Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group): Australia's largest pub operator with 350+ venues including multi-format pubs with dining, sports bars, gaming, and TAB; directly comparable as a multi-venue hospitality operator though operating at national scale.
• Spotted Cow Hotel Toowoomba: Local Toowoomba competitor operating a multi-venue pub with gaming, dining, and live entertainment; directly comparable in format, scale, and customer base to The Southern Hotel.

Broad incumbents

• Endeavour Group: ASX-listed owner of Dan Murphy's, BWS, and a portfolio of hotels including the ALH Group stake; comparable as both a liquor retail competitor (Bottlemart peer) and an integrated pub/hotel operator with gaming exposure.

Others

• TAB Corp / Tabcorp Holdings: Owner and operator of the TAB retail wagering network hosted within The Southern Hotel; an infrastructure/ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor, but whose technology and product roadmap directly affects the venue's wagering revenue stream.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Southernhoteltoowoomba
• Instagraminstagram.com/southernhoteltoowoomba

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Southern Hotel