Ben Carroll has spent over two decades building some of
Sydney’s most successful hospitality venues, and in 2025, he
secured one of Australian hospitality’s biggest prizes: a 10-year
contract to operate Opera Bar and House Canteen at the
Sydney Opera House.
Carroll’s hospitality career began in the trenches, working his
way up from washing dishes to management before overseeing
a vast portfolio of venues for some of Sydney’s largest
hospitality groups, including Merivale and Red Cape Hotel
Group, where he managed 36 venues as On-Premise Manager. It
was this experience operating at scale that ignited his ambition
to build something of his own.
In 2011, Carroll co-founded Applejack Hospitality with Hamish
Watts. What started as a single venue has grown into one of
Sydney’s most influential hospitality groups, now operating 15
venues – including Opera Bar, Bopp & Tone, RAFI Sydney,
Forrester’s, and The Butler – and employing over 700 people.
The group also operates the food and beverage offering at
URBNSURF Sydney. In 2024, Applejack was named Bar Group
Operator of the Year at the Australian Liquor Industry Awards
for the second time in four years and secured a landmark
partnership with global food service leader Compass Group to
accelerate growth.
Known for his sharp financial acumen and strategic marketing

instincts, Carroll leads with a style that empowers high-
performing teams. Just six weeks after winning the Opera

House tender – beating some of Sydney’s biggest players –
Carroll and his team had Opera Bar open and operating.