Evan Stroeve, co-founder and co-owner of Pollen Hospitality — whose venues include the award-winning The Waratah, and their latest venue Sakura House — has announced that he is leaving the business as of next month.
Stroeve’s final day with Pollen Hospitality will be Sunday 24 May.
“This is a decision I have taken a long time to come to and it has not been made lightly,” Stroeve wrote in an email to suppliers and media on Thursday 2 April.
“This email has been rewritten a thousand times. It’s made easier, knowing that the company and venues will continue to grow. They remain in strong and trusted hands with Director Cynthia Litster and Group Operations Manager Adam Rutherford. We are parting on good terms. I leave with deep respect for both of them, and full confidence in their leadership moving forward.”
Litster, who stays on as Pollen Hospitality’s director, praised Stroeve’s efforts to build both The Waratah and Sakura House.
“Evan has been such a pivotal part of our story, and I’m deeply proud of what we’ve built together at The Waratah and Sakura House,” she told us via text. “He has been one of the most incredible people I’ve ever had the privilege of working alongside, and I have no doubt he will continue to thrive in whatever comes next.”
The move does appear to have been on the cards for some time, with Stroeve stepping down as a director of Pollen Hospitality back at the start March.
Also in March, The Waratah also recently saw star bartenders Andie Bulley and Blade Deegan finish up their time at the award-winning Darlinghurst favourite.
Boothby understands that veteran Sydney bartender and current group operations manager, Adam Rutherford, now has shares in Pollen Hospitality.
Since opening in early December 2023, The Waratah quickly earned a reputation for considered drinks and great hospitality, and racked up the accolades along the way. The bar landed at number two on the Boothby Best Bars NSW Top 50 on debut in 2024, and picked up the trophy for Best New Bar in NSW. The Waratah then landed at number three in 2025, and scored the Best Hospitality Team in NSW award. The duo next opened Sakura House in the Sydney CBD in November of 2025.
“What was achieved at The Waratah would not have been possible without the staff, and the people who make this funny little world of ours tick,” Stroeve tells us via text. “The Waratah is a mountain of finger prints, each one imprinted by the care of the staff who’ve walked through its walls, the stories behind every drink, the people who grow what we use, the artwork, bottles, menus. It was the result of a lot of sacrifice, a lot of passion, and a lot of shared intent, from a particular group of people.
“It’s Blade and Andie executing a menu, in a week, that took months of planning, and even more months of emotional and mental investment, that won’t really see the light of day. It’s catching Andie spot cleaning the walls because the littlest things matter the most. It’s the blood, sweat and tears, hands and knees, on the floor at 4am, clearing glass from underneath the bar. It’s my mother’s sketches and paintings on the walls, in the brand identity, on the roof.
“I’m leaving incredibly proud of how special it was, how much work went into it, and the team that I was lucky enough to work alongside, day in and day out,” Stroeve says.
Looking ahead, Litster is positive about what is next to come for both venues.
“We’re ending this chapter on a real high,” she says, “and I’m genuinely excited for what’s in store for Ev personally, as well as the continued growth and expansion of Pollen Hospitality.”
