New owners Ben May and Rob Domjen reveal their plans for the three-level beachfront venue
Newcastle landmark Merewether Surfhouse will become Merewether Pavilion in 2027 under new owners Ben May and Rob Domjen, the hospitality partners behind Burleigh Pavilion, The Tropic, Terrigal Pavilion and The Joey at Palm Beach.
The pair will officially take over in October, with the three-level beachfront venue continuing to trade largely as it does now throughout summer. Merewether Surfhouse will close in February 2027 for a significant renovation before reopening as Merewether Pavilion later in the year.
While the full plans are still taking shape, May and Domjen have confirmed that The Tropic, the coastal dining concept established at Burleigh Pavilion, will form part of the new food and beverage offering. Their broader vision is to create a venue that can be enjoyed throughout the day, from something casual straight off the beach to dining, drinks, events and celebrations.
As keen surfers themselves, the new owners plan to spend their first few months getting to know the venue, its team and the local community before making any major changes.
“What connects Burleigh, Terrigal, Palm Beach and now Merewether isn’t a formula, it’s a sense of place. We want to create venues that feel like they belong to their communities, rather than something that could be picked up and dropped anywhere,” Domjen said.
The venue will continue to trade as Merewether Surfhouse during the transition, before becoming Merewether Pavilion.
“Our ambition is to build on what is already here and create a Merewether Pavilion that locals are genuinely proud to call their own,” Ben said.
Ben May, Pavilion Venue Co. Co-founder said, “Merewether Surfhouse is one of those opportunities that doesn’t come along very often. It’s an incredible position overlooking one of Australia’s great beaches, but what really appealed to us is the place it already holds in the community.
“Our ambition is to build on that. We’ll spend the first few months listening and getting to know the venue before we make any major changes, then take the time to create a Merewether Pavilion that locals are genuinely proud to call their own,” May said.
The approach follows the pair’s experience at Terrigal Pavilion, where the response from the Central Coast community has reinforced their belief that even a large, busy hospitality venue can retain a strong sense of local identity.
Burleigh Pavilion marked the beginning of the Pavilion journey, with the pair recognising an opportunity to take some of what had resonated there to other waterfront locations without replicating the same venue in each destination.
Further details about the renovation, dining concepts and project collaborators will be announced closer to the redevelopment.
