Brisbane-based hospitality group Artemus has marked another milestone in its transformation of the heritage-listed Manly Wharf, launching the first Great Artist Market at the Felons Barrel Room while a proposed $4.5 million food hall conversion of the wharf’s central retail arcade awaits planning approval.
The market brought more than 40 stalls of original work by Sydney artists and makers to the Barrel Room, the former Aldi supermarket Artemus converted into a microbrewery and entertainment venue at the wharf’s southern end.
Free and open from 8am to 3pm, it was the first community-oriented event of its kind at the precinct since Artemus took over the $110 million leasehold in May 2023, and for founders Adam Flaskas and Paul Henry, it signalled exactly the direction they have been working toward.
Felons brand director Dean Romeo, who developed the market concept with his artist wife Claire Ritchie in Geelong before taking it to Howard Smith Wharves in Brisbane, described the Manly edition as carefully curated but open to emerging voices.
“It’s really important for us to give people who may have never shown their works before a space to go,” Romeo said. “The Manly event will showcase a wide cross-section of different mediums, whether it’s ceramics through to paintings, through to photography, through to jewellery.”
Fifteen northern beaches artists featured in the debut market, including Alissa Jay Thomas, WS. Ceramics, Ionae’s Studio, pod & pod, Little Artworks, Northern Beaches Gallery, The Blossom and The Tide, Pirate Princess, Vix and Kin, The Drawing Arm and others.
A Precinct Transformed, Piece by Piece
The Manly Wharf that Artemus took possession of in 2023 was a place of mixed fortunes: a heritage-listed pier structure originally built in 1855 and rebuilt in its current form in 1941, carrying a pub and a mix of retail outlets that had not fundamentally changed in decades.
Artemus had already shown what it could do with a tired waterfront at Brisbane’s Howard Smith Wharves, a nine-acre heritage precinct under the Story Bridge that the group spent ten years developing into one of Queensland’s leading hospitality and entertainment destinations. Manly Wharf, they said from the start, was the same opportunity at a different scale.
The transformation is methodical. The group first delivered the $13.5 million Felons Barrel Room conversion, a project distinct from the pending $4.5 million food hall proposal currently before council. The Barrel Room project gained Northern Beaches Planning Panel approval in early 2025 and now features two bars and 144 ageing barrels.
On the western side of the wharf, Felons Seafood opened as a waterfront restaurant and bar occupying the former Bavarian site, with an adjoining fish and chip takeaway. Hugos, the long-running pizza restaurant at the wharf, was acquired and continues to operate.
A wedding and events venue has opened on the first floor of the complex. Glass balustrade fencing, fixed outdoor seating and improved lighting have progressively changed the feel of the waterfront deck.
Last year, five long-term tenants, El Camino Cantina, Sake Restaurant and Bar, Betty’s Burgers and Concrete Co, Queen Chow and Chat Thai, concluded or handed back their leases, clearing the way for the next chapter.
A Food Hall Waiting for the Green Light
The most significant proposed change to the precinct is now before planning authorities. Artemus has lodged a development application for a $4.5 million transformation of the wharf’s central pedestrian concourse into an artisanal food hall and fresh produce hub, with all existing retail tenancies along the arcade converted to food and drink premises.
If approved, the food hall would trade from 6am to 1am, seven days a week. The proposal also includes automatic glass sliding doors at the wharf’s main entrance, a new skylight to bring more natural light into the arcade, additional fixed seating, upgraded ferry waiting areas and improved external lighting designed to create a soft glow on the wharf’s heritage facade and clock tower.
It would be the first major change to the retail arcade since the wharf was rebuilt in 1941.
“We’re proud of the progress so far, including new hospitality offerings that have added to its vibrancy,” Adam Flaskas said.
“The next stage involves considered upgrades to retail and public areas to improve comfort, functionality and the overall visitor experience. This forms part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring Manly Wharf remains a welcoming and well-presented destination for residents and visitors.”
Building A New Chapter for Manly Wharf
Artemus is investing $120 million into the Manly precinct, applying the same community-focused, hospitality-led approach it used at Howard Smith Wharves to build a long-term legacy in Sydney.
On 2 May, the group will launch its first Great Artist Market at the wharf, with plans for it to become a regular fixture, as it is in Brisbane where it runs three times a year. Broader community programming will continue to grow alongside the hospitality offering.
Locals can track the proposed food hall application here, while bookings for Felons, Hugos and the events venue are available online.
Published 30-April-2026
