Sydney pub operator suspended after failing to disclose past convictions
A familiar face in Sydney’s hospitality scene, Brian Sarkis, has been banned from holding a liquor licence or managing a pub for six months after failing to disclose past criminal convictions to regulators.
Sarkis, previously the licensee of the ArtHouse Hotel on Pitt Street and co-owner of East Village Hotel, came under scrutiny when NSW Liquor and Gaming discovered he had not declared his history while applying for licences.
Back in 2019, Sarkis was struck off as a physiotherapist for seven years after pleading guilty to indecently assaulting two female patients during massages at his Camden clinic. He received a 12-month suspended sentence.
Despite this, when he applied for liquor licences in 2021 and 2022, regulators say he provided a criminal check that showed no convictions and “failed to provide accurate factual details” about his history.
“The failures by Mr Sarkis to be honest and accurate with L&GNSW about the details of his convictions and the finding by NCAT of professional misconduct and disqualification raises concerns around the honesty, integrity and character required of a licensee,” the notice stated.
In response, ArtHouse Hotel director Ben McBeath said Sarkis was no longer working at the venue: “We have another Licensee in place, as per the Liquor Act.”
Sarkis told the authority he was “hurt” to still be “judged by the events that occurred 10 years ago,” arguing he had “retrained and re-skilled” and made a positive contribution to the industry.
Jonathan Jackson, 9th September 2025
