RC March 2015

Restaurant Catering

MARCH 2015 $6.95 GST incl.

Official Journal of

Restaurant & Catering

Taking over an iconic establishment can present unique challenges, yet offers many opportunities. Daniel Giordani and Nathan Brown of Pulp Kitchen explain, page 16

“With a bit of outside-the-box thinking, I was able to successfully apply many of the principles I had learnt as an engineer and CEO to my new hospitality vocation.”Jim Carreker, Appellation at The Louise, Barossa Valley

Just kiddingIntroducing a babysitting

service is good for business, page 24

In the spotlightSaving money while providing ambience,

page 38

Employee of the month

How to save money and reward your

staff, page 20

Inheritancetrust

SPECIAL REPORT Best technology/

POS products on the market today

Nominations are open for the 2015 Savour Australia Restaurant & Catering HOSTPLUS Awards for

Excellence. Get your nomination form at www.restaurantcater.asn.au. Entries close March 20!

AUSSIE PEACHES ARE BACK ON THE MENU

Good news, SPC peaches are back in stock. So you can feel good about buying your peaches from local Aussie growers. With SPC peaches, you’re buying quality Australian produce created with safe farming

practices and supporting our farmers and regional economies. Now doesn’t that sound good?

Switch to some of our Australian Grown products today. Speak to your food service distributor.

SPC 100% for AussiesCALL 1800 805 168‘SPC’ is a registered trade mark of SPC Ardmona.

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Contents

In this issue ...Upfront4 From the Association

John Hart and Matteo Pignatelli reflect on the dramatic start to 2015 and how State and Federal politics affects the restaurant and catering industry

6 News & eventsHospitality students encouraged to travel; Australian Bureau of Statistics report reveals dining surge; HOSTPLUS Scholarship applications open; and much more ...

Wisdom 14 What I’ve learnt

Jim Carreker went from being the CEO of a tech company to launching one of Australia’s most renowned restaurants—Appellation at The Louise in the Barossa Valley

20 The A TeamHow to save money and motivate your staff to create an effective workplace

24 Date nightAstute restaurateurs are offering babysitters for their guests

Stuff13 New products

The latest and greatest stuff

27 Product guideRestaurant & Catering magazine’s guide to the best technology and POS products on the market today

38 Let there by lightWhen it comes to lighting, it’s possible to keep costs low and the ambience high

40 DrinksBen Canaider reveals how niche can be nice

42 DetailsBrae, the modern establishment run by Dan Hunter, was reinvigorated by architect James Legge of Six Degrees

March 2015 $6.95 GST incl.

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Stepping up to the plateHow do you take over and recreate a restaurant that is already well established and much loved? We speak with two restaurateurs that have both successfully transitioned an iconic eatery

COVER STORY16

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Restaurant & Catering magazine is published under licence on behalf of Restaurant & Catering by Engage Custom Media, Suite 4.17 55 Miller Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009 www.engagemedia.com.au

Editor: Nicole Hogan Art Director: Lucy Glover Sub-editor: Kerryn RamseyContributors: Ben Canaider, Natasha Shaw, Samantha Trenoweth, Chris Sheedy, Sue Nelson, Akash Arora, Sales Director: Adam Cosgrove

Direct: (02) 9660 6995 ext 505Fax: (02) 9518 5600 Mob: 0404 351 543 Email: [email protected]

Editorial Director: Rob Johnson Commercial Director: Mark Brown

For all editorial, subscription and advertising enquiries, ph: 1300 722 878Print Post approved PP: 2255003/06505, ISSN 1442-9942

©2014 Engage Custom Media. Views expressed in Restaurant & Catering magazine are not necessarily those of Restaurant & Catering or that of the publisher, editor or Engage Custom Media.Printed by Webstar

Things fall apartThis year has started in a most dramatic way. Politically speaking, upheaval would be an understatement

From the Association

Restaurant & Catering’s mission: To lead and represent the Australian restaurant and catering industry.

Contact details

8,494 - CAB Audited as at September, 2014

Restaurant & Catering AustraliaAddress: Level 3, 154 Pacific Highway, St Leonards NSW 2064Tel: 1300 722 878Fax: 1300 722 396Email: [email protected]: www.restaurantcater.asn.au

President: Matteo Pignatelli (VIC)Senior Vice President: Mark Scanlan (NSW)Junior Vice President: Kevin Gulliver (QLD)Treasurer: Richard Harper (VIC)Chief Executive Officer: John Hart

The adage in January (at least until Australia Day) is that it’s a decision-free zone. This year, however, a first-term Government had been thrown out in Queensland, a leadership spill was in the offing and the Federal Government was hitting the reset switch on its policy

agenda—just a few decisions that will affect the future of our industry. The State Government in Queensland—from the restaurant and catering

industry perspective—had done a good job. The four pillars agenda, including tourism, had seen some positive reforms, particularly in the area of liquor licensing. It’s unclear if the new Government will reverse any of these changes.

The Federal Government has faced numerous challenges getting its change agenda through. I believe the agenda is small-business friendly and I’m sure if privy to the details, business voters would support it.

One part of the program that’s worth highlighting is the competitiveness agenda. This forms the basis for the overarching policy agenda for the Government. For the first time, priorities for industry investment were explicit in the policy statement and tourism and hospitality were included. Minister for Trade and Investment, Andrew Robb, had been advancing this message from day one and continues to do so.

John HartCEO, Restaurant & Catering

RestaurantCatering

4 RESTAURANT & CATERING

Join the conversation on theSavour Australia Restaurant &Catering HOSTPLUS Awards forExcellence with #savourawards

/savouraustralia@savouraus

/savour-australia

Discover Hospitality is here to help your career take off—and stay on track. Discover the career possibilities or find suitable staff with #discoverhospitality

#discoverhospitality/discover-hospitality

Keep up to date with Restaurant & Catering Australia (R&CA) news, events, products and programs, and ‘like’ and ‘follow’ the association on social media with #restcatering

/restaurantandcatering@restcatering

restaurant-&-catering-industry-association

Back to basicsGovernments lose office when they lose track of their core values

There have been critics of the election result in Victoria, as ‘the beginning of the end’ for the Federal Government. However, I see it differently. The election of the Coalition in Victoria in 2010 was a reaction to bad government in Canberra. This, coupled with an almost benign environment

in Victoria during the Coalition’s Government, led to a spectacular defeat in 2014. Industry groups, like R&CA, become political because they have policy objectives

that align to more conservative values. This is undermined when non-Labor governments fail to implement a policy agenda that’s business-friendly. For whatever reason, this happened in Victoria in the last Government.

The knife-edge margin with which former Victorian premier Ted Baillieu and then Denis Napthine governed made it almost impossible. There were, however, policy areas in which odd decisions were made. Education and training was one where business growth was stymied by a lack of skilled staff. By any measure, this is not a conservative ethic.

Both sides of Government need the industry that’s still growing despite changes in retail, off-shoring and the mining boom ending—the restaurant industry!

Our population will still go out to eat and our Federal Government is spending $40 million to ensure the rest of the world does too! Bon appetito!

Matteo PignatelliPresident, Restaurant & Catering


PLATINUM:

GOLD:

EDUCATION & PROJECT PARTNERS / COMMUNICATIONS / PREMIUM BUYING GROUP SUPPLIERS / PROJECTS / STRATEGY

DIAMOND

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ARA FIRE, NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE, ZOO BUSINESS MEDIA

News&events


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According to a report in The Sydney Morning Herald, a guest lecturer at The Hotel School Sydney told students his global hotel chain was thinking

of hiring a “social media listener”. When asked what the job would entail, the manager admitted he didn’t know what a ‘listener’ would do, “but we think we need one”.

In an industry that has guest service at its core, mastering social media is just one trend the hospitality sector is adapting to.

In turn, colleges that prepare students for the industry adapt and tailor the training so that graduates are equipped for the future.

“Our students took part in a competition run by one of the big hotel chains last year for what a hotel would look like in 2020,” said Tony Patterson, general manager of the hotel school. “Our students predicted people would be wanting to check in via an app before they arrived. That way, hotel staff could welcome them by name at the door and have their key ready.”

The hotel school offers a bachelor of business in hotel management degree in association with Southern Cross University as well as certificate and diploma studies in international tourism and hotel management. Working at major hotels is part of the training and most degree students are employed in the industry when they finish studying.

“It’s more and more a global business and we have students working with industry partners in Hong Kong, the UK, the US and at resorts such as Whistler,” Patterson said.

Tourism and hospitality are growing industries and working in these sectors can be a passport for those keen to travel.

“I got my degree from the hotel school and specialised in setting up resorts,” Patterson said. “For years I had summers in the Whitsundays and winter in the

Snowy Mountains. It is a career with enormous potential.”

Those who want to work in Sydney are keeping an eye on developments including Darling Harbour’s new convention centre and its neighbour, Barangaroo, which when complete, is likely to host tens of thousands of visitors a day and will be key places of employment for hospitality and tourism staff.

Hotels want staff who are well trained in all aspects of the industry and are ready to start work immediately, said Janette Illingsworth, assistant director of strategic industry relations at the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School.

The school offers bachelor of business degrees in hospitality management, which include paid industry placements with Australian hotels, as well as master's degrees in international hotel management.

Illingsworth said most students come straight from high school and most tertiary graduates go straight into a job. “We follow up our students and find that 10 years after graduation 75 per cent are still in the industry,” she said.

Alongside the big chains, Illingsworth sees growth in the boutique hotel sector. “They have their unique atmosphere and style and they want their staff to fit in with that. We train our students to be versatile and flexible so they can become part of the guest’s experience,” she said.

Coralie Morrissey, executive dean of business and hospitality at William Blue College of Hospitality Management, agrees

graduates are expected to be versatile and able to hit the ground running. “[The industry doesn’t] want to train people; they expect people to be ready to take on their jobs immediately. Our students spend the last six months in an industry placement in one of our three streams—commercial cookery, event management and hotel management—and almost all already have jobs when they graduate.”

The college’s training restaurant, William Blue Dining, re-opened in February in Sydney’s CBD, staffed by students who undertake all cooking and service duties.

Morrissey also saw growth in the wedding and themed events sector of hospitality “which requires a lot of imagination and creativity and our students love that”.

At the William Angliss Institute’s Sydney campus in Surry Hills, diplomas are

offered in tourism and travel, events and hospitality alongside certificate study in commercial cookery and patisserie. Institute chief executive officer Nicholas

Hunt said about 90 per cent of graduates in culinary skills

and hospitality have a job within six months of finishing their course.

“Versatility is crucial in this industry, and the Tourism Australia campaign emphasising both a big city and boutique rural dining experience to tourists shows the need for graduates to be multi-skilled and

flexible,” said Hunt.

Hospitality students encouraged to travel

$400,000 boost to promote SA’s food and wineApplications are open for Primary Industries and Regions SA's major marketing grants aimed at promoting the state's food and wine regions locally, interstate and overseas. Agriculture, Food and Fisheries Minister Leon Bignell said individual grants of up to $40,000 are available for approved projects. For more information, go to www.pir.sa.gov.au.

http://www.pir.sa.gov.au

www.stoddart.com.au1300 791 954Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth

Innovation is about the ability to recognise that nothing is impossible or cannot be

improved upon.

Woodson is Australia’s original countertop equipment business,

founded in 1954. It is renowned for its performance, reliability

and back-up service.

Today, Woodson is just one of many leading brands

brought to market by Stoddart and is

manufacturedlocally in Australia.

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The Chocolatiers are gearing up for the busiest time of the year!

Why not grab your slice of the Easter festivities?

Tempt your customers with chocolate muffins, baked in Confoil’s delightful Easter Bunny Limited Edition print.

With carton quantities of 150 units, it’s easier than ever to create Easter specific muffins, without the risk of overstocks.

Our muffin wraps are manufactured in Australia from genuine silicone parchment paper, sourced from Europe. Quality that is synonymous with Confoil.

Stock is limited. Available early March. Follow the link below to pre-order and receive a 10% discount.

http://ad.confoil.com.au/easterwraps

News&events

The Chocolatiers are gearing up for the busiest time of the year!

Why not grab your slice of the Easter festivities?

Tempt your customers with chocolate muffins, baked in Confoil’s delightful Easter Bunny Limited Edition print.

With carton quantities of 150 units, it’s easier than ever to create Easter specific muffins, without the risk of overstocks.

Our muffin wraps are manufactured in Australia from genuine silicone parchment paper, sourced from Europe. Quality that is synonymous with Confoil.

Stock is limited. Available early March. Follow the link below to pre-order and receive a 10% discount.

http://ad.confoil.com.au/easterwraps

tipIf you are worried abouttipping with PIN, here is a

Venues using Tyro Pay@Table increased their tips by 15%.* Call 02 8907 1799 to find out more.

*Total tip amount per Tyro merchant, Sep-Nov 2014 www.tyro.com

Matteo Pignatelli to judge HOSTPLUS Hospitality Scholarship

The annual HOSTPLUS Hospitality Scholarship is back for its second year, offering mentorships to state-based winners as well as the

overall national winner.Applications opened on March 2, with the

scholarship open to 18 to 30 year olds from any area of the hospitality industry, from the kitchen to the cellar or brewery, and the orchard to front of house.

Supported by the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, the HOSTPLUS Hospitality Scholarship will give one rising star in the industry the opportunity to fly to three different countries to complete his or her work experience, and then undertake a one-year mentorship with a local industry leader when they return.

Building on the success of its inaugural year, the competition will also include state-based winners. “As a way to extend our

support for the industry on a national scale, we’ve decided to introduce state-based winners who will each receive a mentorship with a local industry leader as well,” said

chief executive officer of Melbourne Food & Wine Festival (MFW), Natalie O’Brien.

To enter, applicants need to upload a short video discussing their passion for the industry and explaining how they will use the opportunity to add value to their career in Australia.

Submissions are open until April 10 and the winner will be announced in May.

The judging panel includes Natalie O’Brien; Umberto Mecchi, group executive, strategy, marketing and growth, HOSTPLUS; Matteo Pignatelli from Restaurant &

Catering Australia; current MFW legend Gail Donovan; and 2014 HOSTPLUS trailblazer Rafael Rashid.

Last year’s scholarship winner was Mark Bashinsky, sous chef at Aria in Brisbane.

http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au/food/news/aria-sous-chef-wins-hostplus-scholarship

Promotion runs from 15 February 2015 to 15 April 2015. Goods must be invoiced between 15 February 2015 to 15 April 2015. Conditions apply. Open to Australian businesses who are end user customers of the Promoter and not the Promoter’s distributors, and any other business deemed ineligble by the Promoter in its absolute discretion. Final claims must be received by 5pm on 30 April 2015, unless specified otherwise. *Purchases must be made in one invoice to be eligible. Max 5 claims in total per eligible business.

© Registered trade marks of George Weston Foods Limited. All rights reserved.

GET REWARDEDSPEND OVER $120 AND RECEIVE A

$20 COLES MYER GIFT CARD

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:1. Place an order through your local foodservice

distributor and for every $120 of qualifying products (listed) purchased you will receive a $20 Coles Myer Gift Card.

2. Simply send your invoice (goods must be invoiced by 15 April) containing your name, address and phone number to us by 30 April 2015 and once verified you will receive your card/s.

Email [email protected]

Fax 02 8415 8950

OFFER VALID FROM 15 FEBRUARY TO 15 APRIL 2015

DINNER ROLLS & SLIDERS9872 ROUND DINNER ROLL WHITE

9358 SOURDOUGH ROUND DINNER ROLL/SLIDER

9417 RYE DINNER ROLL/SLIDER

9915 CIABATTA DINNER ROLL/SLIDER

9429 RUSTIC MIXED DINNER ROLLS

9426 RUSTIC DIAMOND DINNER ROLL

SHARING LOAVES9661 TOMATO & CAPSICUM BATARD

9421 RUSTIC SOURDOUGH BAGUETTE

9419 RUSTIC SOURDOUGH VIENNA

9420 SOFT TURKISH PIDE LOAF

9428 PANE DI CASA

9717 VIENNA BATARD

LUNCH ROLLS9601 8” SLICED SANDWICH SUB WHITE

9357 SOURDOUGH ROUND LUNCH ROLL

9422 PANINI LUNCH ROLL

9425 RUSTIC DIAMOND LUNCH ROLL

9424 SOFT TURKISH OVAL LUNCH ROLL

9423 SOFT TURKISH ROUND LUNCH ROLL

9427 TAPERED HALF BAGUETTE

9505 GOURMET HAMBURGER BUN

9809 FOCCACIA LUNCH ROLL

QUALIFYING PRODUCTS:

VIEW THE PRODUCTS ON OFFER AT TIPTOP-FOODSERVICE.COM.AU

For every $120 you spend, receive a $20 Coles Myer

Gift Card*

See our full range of dinner rolls & sliders, lunch rolls and sharing loaves at

TIPTOP-FOODSERVICE.COM.AU / 1800 086 926 CONTACT YOUR LOCAL FOODSERVICE DISTRIBUTOR

News&events

Promotion runs from 15 February 2015 to 15 April 2015. Goods must be invoiced between 15 February 2015 to 15 April 2015. Conditions apply. Open to Australian businesses who are end user customers of the Promoter and not the Promoter’s distributors, and any other business deemed ineligble by the Promoter in its absolute discretion. Final claims must be received by 5pm on 30 April 2015, unless specified otherwise. *Purchases must be made in one invoice to be eligible. Max 5 claims in total per eligible business.

© Registered trade marks of George Weston Foods Limited. All rights reserved.

GET REWARDEDSPEND OVER $120 AND RECEIVE A

$20 COLES MYER GIFT CARD

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:1. Place an order through your local foodservice

distributor and for every $120 of qualifying products (listed) purchased you will receive a $20 Coles Myer Gift Card.

2. Simply send your invoice (goods must be invoiced by 15 April) containing your name, address and phone number to us by 30 April 2015 and once verified you will receive your card/s.

Email [email protected]

Fax 02 8415 8950

OFFER VALID FROM 15 FEBRUARY TO 15 APRIL 2015

DINNER ROLLS & SLIDERS9872 ROUND DINNER ROLL WHITE

9358 SOURDOUGH ROUND DINNER ROLL/SLIDER

9417 RYE DINNER ROLL/SLIDER

9915 CIABATTA DINNER ROLL/SLIDER

9429 RUSTIC MIXED DINNER ROLLS

9426 RUSTIC DIAMOND DINNER ROLL

SHARING LOAVES9661 TOMATO & CAPSICUM BATARD

9421 RUSTIC SOURDOUGH BAGUETTE

9419 RUSTIC SOURDOUGH VIENNA

9420 SOFT TURKISH PIDE LOAF

9428 PANE DI CASA

9717 VIENNA BATARD

LUNCH ROLLS9601 8” SLICED SANDWICH SUB WHITE

9357 SOURDOUGH ROUND LUNCH ROLL

9422 PANINI LUNCH ROLL

9425 RUSTIC DIAMOND LUNCH ROLL

9424 SOFT TURKISH OVAL LUNCH ROLL

9423 SOFT TURKISH ROUND LUNCH ROLL

9427 TAPERED HALF BAGUETTE

9505 GOURMET HAMBURGER BUN

9809 FOCCACIA LUNCH ROLL

QUALIFYING PRODUCTS:

VIEW THE PRODUCTS ON OFFER AT TIPTOP-FOODSERVICE.COM.AU

For every $120 you spend, receive a $20 Coles Myer

Gift Card*

See our full range of dinner rolls & sliders, lunch rolls and sharing loaves at

TIPTOP-FOODSERVICE.COM.AU / 1800 086 926 CONTACT YOUR LOCAL FOODSERVICE DISTRIBUTOR

tapIf you would like faster transactions, you need to

1 out of 4 payments processed by Tyro are Tap&Go.* With us, you can turn tables faster and improve your workfow.

www.tyro.com*Tyro Payments Transactional Data, December 2014

Recent figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) have showed a significant jump in sales within the foodservice sector.

The January 2015 report revealed that restaurants, cafes and bars experienced the biggest year-on-year jump for any business sector with a 11.3 per cent increase in sales, Business Insider reported.

Economist at Deutsche Bank, Torsten Slok, told Business Insider that the decline in oil prices has helped with the increased spending within the restaurant sector, with the restaurant index rising to its highest level in 10 years.

This time last year the ABS recorded similar growth rates with a 10.6 per cent jump in spending within the restaurant, cafe and catering sectors in the year leading up to November 2013.

John Hart, chief executive officer of Restaurant & Catering Australia, pointed out that at the time, the figures represented a very positive result for the industry.

ABS figures reveal surge in restaurant spending

Restaurants, cafes and bars experience the biggest year-on-year jump for any business sector.

http://www.businessinsider.com.au/january-restaurant-spending-2015-2

http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au/food/news/restaurants-and-cafes-the-stars-of-retail-growth-a

http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au/food/news/restaurants-and-cafes-the-stars-of-retail-growth-a

Sat 21Pre-order a Mudgee Picnic Box during the Mudfest International Short Film Festival in Mudgee, NSW. mudfest.com.au

Sun 22The creative Gourmet Drinker showcase is at London’s International Food & Drink Event on March 22-25. ife.co.uk

Mon 23Meat Free Week on March 23-29 raises awareness of the impact of excessive meat consumption. meatfreeweek.org

Tue 24A cocktail party kicks off the Australasian Hospitality & Gaming Expo at the Gold Coast on March 24-25. hospitalityexpo.com.au

March—April 2015

Wed 25Head to the Auspack Packaging + Processing trade show in Melbourne on March 24-27. auspack.com.au

Thu 26Experience the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas on March 23-26. pizzaexpo.com

Fri 27Don’t miss the Great Australian Banana Cook Off during Feast of the Senses festival in Innisfail, Nth Qld, on March 21-29. feastofthesenses.com.au

Sat 28Earth Hour has captivated the world with restaurants offering candlelight dinners and special degustations. earthhour.org

APRIL

MARCH

Sat 11Take part in the grape stomp during the Coonawarra After Dark Weekend in SA. coonawarra.org

Sun 12More than 30 culinary leaders take part in the New York Culinary Experience all weekend. nyce.nymag.com

Mon 13F.O.O.D Week returns with a 100 Mile Dinner. On April 10-19 in Orange, NSW. orangefoodweek.com.au

Tue 14Food Technology & Innovation Forum in Chicago is on April 14-15. thefoodsummit.com

Wed 15Winemakers, grape-growers, foodies and wine geeks all head to the Barossa Vintage Festival on April 15-19. barossavintagefestival.com.au

What’s on

Sat 4The one-day La Festa event shows why Griffith is the food bowl of NSW. lafesta.org.au

Sun 5More than 20 wineries join forces for the Bendigo Winemakers Festival in Victoria on Easter Sunday. bendigowine.org.au

Mon 7With an annual two million deaths linked to unsafe food, the theme for this year’s World Health Day is food safety. who.int

Wed 8Applications for Electrolux Appetite for Excellence awards are open until April 12. youngchef.com.au

Fri 10The week-long Taste Tamworth on April 10-19 offers everything from a Long Lunch to a Laneway Pop-Up Bar. destinationtamworth.com.au

Wed 1Spruce up your dining space with new tableware—see ranges at Expo Tableware, part of Shanghai’s Expo Finefood. March 30–April 2. www.hotelex.cn/en-us/

Thu 2Sydney Easter Show’s District Exhibits has produced tapestries climbing the walls of the Fresh Food Dome. On March 26-April 8. eastershow.com.au

Fri 3Update your website so customers know your opening times over the Easter long weekend.


April 11

Mon 16Embrace A Taste of Harmony by offering specific countries’s cuisine. On March 16-22. tasteofharmony.org.au

Tue 17Make sure Guinness and Irish stew are on the menu on St Patrick’s Day.

Thu 19Last chance to nominate for the Savour Australia™ Restaurant & Catering HOSTPLUS Awards. Closes on March 20. restaurantcater.asn.au

Fri 20Restaurants, cafes and bars are hotspots during the Tasmanian International Arts Festival on March 20-29. tendaysontheisland.com

March 26

Founded by designer and entrepreneur, Pam Burnett, Cream Workwear has launched a range of premium organic cotton workwear for the restaurant and hospitality industry.

Having cut her teeth designing clothing in the fashion industry, Burnett saw an opportunity in the foodservice industry for premium quality, sustainable workwear.

Burnett said that she was surprised to learn that many chefs wore uniforms made from polyester blended with conventional cotton simply because there weren’t other options available and from there, Cream Workwear was born.

Made from certified organic cotton there are 13 designs across the range, including women and men’s chef jackets, pants, aprons, tunic and women’s wrap dress. Burnett says that organic cotton is cool in work

in and the inclusion of three percent spandex provides stretch in the fabric for comfortable movement.

The range also includes design features such as mobile phone pockets, hanging tabs and underarm breathing eyelets with custom options available. Available from www.creamworkwear.com.au

Sustainable workwear launch

payA payment experience so good customers smile when they

Happier customers means bigger tips and repeat business. Make sure your payment solution matches the quality of your service.Call 02 8907 1799 to find out more.

www.tyro.com

New products

Bunny wrapConfoil have released an Easter Bunny printed version of their popular parchment muffin wrap. The wraps are renowned for quality, printed and manufactured in Australia, using genuine parchment paper sourced from Europe.

The new wraps will be available in carton quantities of 150 units, making them a viable option for both small and larger bakeries. Available from early March, while stocks last: ad.confoil.com.au/easter

What I’ve learnt


I was born and raised in Athens, Georgia, in the US. I studied engineering and pursued a 30-year career in the technology industry—for the first 15 years as a systems designer, then as a product line manager, and then as a product division general manager. In my mid-thirties I had an entrepreneurial itch and proceeded to create a new tech company

and served for 15 years as its CEO. By my mid-fifties, I was ready for another challenge, at an age when some of my peers were thinking about playing golf or serving as advisory directors to start-up companies.

From personal travels with my wife Helen, we had observed that the great wine regions of the world often had outstanding small restaurants, and many had complementary luxury hotels. We made a decision to become hoteliers and find a wine region where we could develop a business together that offered guests the types of experiences that we had enjoyed. After a search that included Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand and all the wine regions of Australia, we relocated to South Australia, having decided to launch a restaurant and accommodation in the Barossa Valley.

It was, of course, an intriguing and atypical transition. I was not only changing industries, but countries, too, with cultural differences. However, with a bit of outside-the-box thinking, I was able to successfully apply many of the principles I had learnt as an engineer and CEO to my new hospitality vocation in Australia.

For instance, an entrepreneurial approach suggests finding a radically different solution to a classic challenge. In our case, this was to develop a destination restaurant with co-located guest rooms at a time when virtually all regional Australian properties were focused on filling room nights. Back then, the food-and-beverage cost centre was simply adequate to feed the overnight guests.

We recognised that the Barossa had a fine international reputation for its wine exports, but there was really no

appreciation that the local food sources were of equal quality to the wines. By establishing restaurant Appellation, sourcing outstanding local produce and operating the business to celebrate the dining experience at a level comparable to the best of Napa, Tuscany, Provence or Franschhoek, we set out in a new direction. Guests came for the dining experience, and wanted to stay overnight. The confidence to take this completely different approach came from my earlier career experiences.

I had learnt that to get to the root cause of a challenge, you have to be a good listener. If you’re not a good listener and if you’re not receptive to the feedback that you receive from your clients, you won’t be able to refine your approach and adjust your intended solution. So one of the most important messages that I share with my staff is to be a good listener and have a conversation with our customers and then share that feedback with the entire team.

I am a believer in employing people who are locals. At Appellation and The Louise we have a team of about 45 people and, typically, only one or two are new to the Barossa. The rest of our staff members have lived long-term in the local area. I give special emphasis to this because travellers these days are seeking authentic experiences. They want to know the inside story, to be booked into experiences not open to the public and to meet the local characters. And local staff have this knowledge.

Finally, one of the other important things I have learnt ever since switching industries is that success in both technology and hospitality involves a commitment to long hours and a 24/7/365 engagement. You have to truly love to serve your customers when they are relaxed and away from the other obligations in their lives—and that’s generally evenings, weekends and holidays. I never viewed this change as being ‘retirement’; in fact, the word does not exist in my vocabulary. The joy of hosting a wedding proposal, a 40th anniversary, or just a night out together is fulfilling. Work has to be about bringing joy to guests.

CarrekerAmerican-born Jim Carreker went from being the chief executive officer of a tech company to launching one of Australia’s highly respected restaurants—Appellation at The Louise in the Barossa Valley

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Cover story

How do you take over and recreate a restaurant that is already well established and much loved? What are the advantages and where are the pitfalls? Chris Sheedy discovers two restaurateurs who have both successfully transitioned an iconic eatery

customers are also happy to suggest alterations to the business, and Giordani explains that this feedback is one of the most powerful sources of information a restaurateur can utilise.

For instance, early in the new ownership of Pulp Kitchen, many diners suggested a more regular change of menu items. “The menu tends to be

a little bit more seasonal now,” says Giordani, who piloted

Pulp Kitchen to an ACT Restaurant of the Year

award in 2014’s Savour Australia Restaurant & Catering HOSTPLUS Awards for Excellence.

“But then again, some of

the old customers are still asking for

menu items from many years ago. So some

want new offerings, but we also have to keep traditional meals for the older customers as well. The feeling we get is the customers would like us to change things without changing things too heavily.”

When two of Melbourne’s finest

Canberra’s foodie community does not remember 2012 as a positive year. A major catering business known as Ten and a

Half Catering, whose restaurant Dieci e Mezzo was fast earning a reputation as one of the city’s finest, hit the wall carrying unmanageable debt of several millions of dollars. And restaurateur Christian Hauberg was forced to sell his respected eatery Pulp Kitchen in order to pay debts after his marriage broke down.

However, there were silver linings that year too—for fans of Pulp Kitchen at least. The restaurant was taken over by its long-time manager, Daniel Giordani and his ex-colleague, Nathan Brown. The pair had worked together in the past at Canberra restaurant Waldorf on London and when the opportunity arose to purchase Pulp Kitchen, they jumped right in.

“Obviously the business had already been running in that location for quite a while,” Giordani says. “I had worked there so I knew the clientele and the restaurant’s potential. Buying an established business meant that instead

of having to build a business up from scratch, I already had a loyal customer base. Instead of starting from nothing I was building on something.”

There are a great many positives about having a solid base on which to build, Giordani says. One is that few menu changes or staff changes had to be made. For a small while it was business as usual.

“We took over the restaurant with the idea of changing things gradually,” says the French national, who has worked in Canberra for around eight years. “But I don’t think we have changed the place that much in terms of its feel. Yes, we have now made changes in the kitchen and the restaurant has had a facelift, but I think the loyal clients would say that it is not much changed.”

And that’s lucky, because many loyal customers give feedback to the new owners when they sense a change with which they are not happy. The

plateto theSteppingup

“Buying an established business meant that instead of having to build a business up from scratch, I already

had a loyal customer base.”

Daniel Giordani, Pulp Kitchen, ACT


Pulp Kitchen’s co-owners Daniel Giordani (left) and

Nathan Brown appreciate the business’s loyal customer base.

young chefs, Hayden McFarland and Thomas Woods, bought out the iconic Prahran restaurant Jacques Reymond in late 2013 they took a different path to the one Giordani embarked on in Canberra. McFarland and Woods decided to make an immediate impact by changing the restaurant’s name to ‘Woodland House’. After all, legendary restaurateur Reymond was no longer going to be connected with the business, and the new owners wanted to take the style of the food, and the atmosphere within the stately mansion that Jacques Reymond had called home for several decades, in a different direction.

“We didn’t want the public expecting Jacques to be in the kitchen,” McFarland says. “There was an idea that was tossed around briefly that we might call the restaurant ‘Woodland House at Jacques Reymond’ or something like that, but we quickly decided not to go with that. We wanted to start from scratch.”

Despite the fact that Woodland House was a completely new business with a different name, McFarland and Woods, who had previously worked at Jacques Reymond for a collective 11 years, found they were going to be measured up against Reymond’s very high standards whether they liked it or not.

“A lot of the regular customers from

Cover story

the old restaurant knew us and they knew we had both been working here for a number of years. So a lot of the good customers returned to eat, as well as to make sure we were not ruining their favourite restaurant,” says McFarland with a smile.

The name change, while potentially meaning they could have had to start from scratch, also offered several benefits, McFarland says. It allowed the new owners to do what they wanted to do with less expectations from the public. If they had kept the previous restaurant’s name, much of that freedom would have been taken away.

“We couldn’t do any structural work to this building,” McFarland says. “But we modernised the space. We made the lines a bit more clean and made the space feel more open. The table settings are not quite as opulent and formal. There is not a line-up of wine glasses and cutlery. Instead, there are clean lines. We changed the chandeliers from low, heavy pieces to higher pieces that open up the space.

“With the menu, Jacques really responded to the Asian style of cuisine but we lean more towards European. And we change the menu more often

than the old restaurant used to. Jacques would perhaps change his menu annually. But we are running with the philosophy of seasonality. Our menu is changing constantly. Our degustation menu, which is about 10 courses, contains several dishes that may not last more than

three weeks. We have the freedom to do what we want to do with the menu.”

Fortunately for French native Giordani, his personal style leant towards the type of food that was already on offer at Pulp Kitchen—French and European. “That probably made things a little bit easier for me,” he says.

What then, can potential restaurant owners learn from the experiences of Giordani and McFarland? The entire experience for Giordani, he says, has emphasised the vital importance of constantly listening to, and seeking information from, customers and staff. That feedback will always tell you what you are doing right and what needs to be changed, even from people who say they are uncomfortable with change.

Taking over a current restaurant without turning it into a new business,

“The change ruffled feathers. People

wanted to know what was going on.”Hayden McFarland,

Woodland House, VIC


Thanks to Daniel Giordani (left) and Nathan Brown, Pulp Fiction’s menu now tends to be seasonal.

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Thomas Woods (left) and Hayden McFarland, co-

owner/chefs of Woodland House, had to make

difficult decisions after buying Jacques Reymond’s

legendary establishment.


Giordani says, is both a positive and a negative. It means the building, staff, equipment, customers and reputation are already in place. In such a case, changes can still be made and, indeed, they should be made in order to seek constant improvement. However, they must be made carefully and gradually.

But Giordani says other things would have been easier had he started from scratch. There are major changes he simply cannot make in the kitchen as the restaurant’s regular clientele could be upset by such change.

“If you re-name the restaurant then you can make changes—as many changes as you want—but then you have to work to re-connect with the old market or to connect with an entirely new market,” he says.

And this is the challenge McFarland

is facing, having changed the name of an iconic restaurant. “We did get a lot of free press and good will from the industry when the restaurant changed hands,” McFarland says. “Actually, we had an awful lot of media coverage and we didn’t seek any of it. The change ruffled feathers. People wanted to know what was going on. It was on the front page of The Sunday Age. That is publicity you can’t buy.”

However, the changes he and Woods were able to make, and the brand they are now building that belongs to them and to nobody else, has made it all worthwhile. They are chasing a new market by utilising social media to bring their ‘future diners’, couples in their early thirties with no kids and plenty of disposable income, into the restaurant. They are also keeping an eye on the

quality of experience being had by the previous restaurant’s traditional market of older professionals and retirees.

“We get all hung up on the small details and then people visit our restaurant and get to the end of their meals without even noticing that the restaurant’s name has changed. That has happened more than once this year,” McFarland says.

“Obviously we are compared all the time to Jacques Reymond simply because we are in the same building. That restaurant was here for a very long time, so that’s going to be a benchmark when people visit. That gives us a very high level to strive for. But are we frustrated that we are constantly being compared to what was one of the country’s greatest restaurants? Of course not. That is a wonderful thing to be compared to.”

AManagement


Great restaurants are created by great teams: dedicated, enthusiastic, creative teams, right the way through from the head chef who’s

been there since day one to the casual waiter who came on board last Saturday. And all the evidence suggests that truly great teams don’t just appear by chance. Great teams are built on motivation!

Staff incentive programs increase motivation and, according to Richard E. Clark from the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California, that’s why they’ve become so popular and so successful. Clark claims that motivational programs can boost both the quality and quantity of staff performance by as much as 40 per cent.

These programs need not be expensive—far from it. Clark’s research indicates that, where programs with financial incentives can increase work performance by 20 per cent, some non-financial programs boost performance by as much as 40 per cent.

Plainly incentive schemes work but not all of them work for all people. So how do you devise the program that’s right for your team?

Motivation springs from our beliefs about what makes us successful and effective. Those beliefs vary from person to person, so getting to know your staff,

Want to save money and motivate your staff? Samantha Trenoweth uncovers how to create an effective workplace

The

team

asking for their ideas and listening to them is the first step in putting together an effective incentives program.

That said, according to Clark, there are also some “universal motivators” and universal de-motivators. Any successful scheme should be built with these in mind.

Let’s begin with the de-motivators. There are three primary elements that can erode motivation in any restaurant and a great incentives program should counteract them.

The first de-motivator is the perception that performance goals are vague, confused or impossible to achieve. Research suggests that a goal is usually considered “impossible” if the likelihood of achieving it is less than 15 per cent.

One of Australia’s most successful chefs and restaurateurs, Luke Mangan, is a firm believer in incentives schemes and he insists that there’s no point in setting pie-in-the-sky goals. “It’s crucial,” he says, “that the goals you set are achievable.” Staff need to know what’s expected of them and, he

says, “Incentive programs should be based around clear, achievable but challenging goals”.

The next universal de-motivator is the perception of dishonesty or unfairness

in the workplace. Mangan insists that fairness should be

the cornerstone of an incentives scheme.

It will probably require that you run a number of schemes with different goals and parameters, but it’s important

that incentives are open to and

achievable by everyone.

While a little, light-hearted competition can keep

staff on their toes, aggressive rivalry breeds mistrust and tears teams apart. So the most successful incentives programs reward team, as well as individual, achievement. Richard Clark has observed that schemes which offer incentives to employees for exceeding their own or their team’s previous best effort are more effective than schemes in which staff or teams compete against one another.

The best schemes, he believes, “build realistic levels of self-confidence,

“Incentive programs should be based

around clear, achievable but

challenging goals.” Luke Mangan,

chef, restaurateur and television presenter

positive emotion and effective personal values for work tasks … They foster a culture where fair and positive beliefs, expectations and practices are encouraged in an environment where people are challenged to work hard.”

What kind of incentives will challenge teams and build those positive beliefs and emotions?

Unsurprisingly, financial incentives are popular, as are luxury goods and services (particularly travel). Some large restaurants offer company shares as incentives. The belief is that employees work harder when they feel a sense of ownership. But these are not the only successful motivators.

An office party or outing can be a significant incentive when tied to team achievement. Access to amenities (membership to a nearby gym or yoga studio, for example) might also be a great motivator, while improving the health and energy levels of the team.

Education is also a win-win incentive. When you reward achievement by paying for and allowing time-off to complete an extra course or workshop, your employees become more skilled, more confident and more loyal.

The freedom to choose their shifts or swap shifts for a week or two is a popular and inexpensive incentive. And simple public recognition for a job well done is often as good an incentive as a material reward. Outstanding work


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How Muse Restaurant’s Troy and Megan Rhoades-Brown went from hard-

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Land lovers Getting the best from local Australian produce, page 10

Special report Back-of-house technology, page 38

Go your own wayBeing the only restaurant in town offering something unique can be a winning formula. Learn more, page 14

I get to work a lot with the apprentices and oversee their training. This business can be hard and antisocial given the unsociable hours, so I make a real effort to help them enjoy it.”Stephen Mercer, Mercer’s Restaurant, Melbourne

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Crowd pleaserHow to stand out from the pack and get your business on the radar of both locals and travellers. Page 23

A bit on the cider It’s the hipster drink of choice, which is why cider and flavoured beer should be on your radar

What I’ve learnt “It was a gamble but it was the best thing we ever did. We’re busier than ever and have clients who return time and time again, ordering the same favourite dish.” Judy McMahon Catalina, Sydney

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all do well and they are all well regarded.” Robert Molines

Special Report Our annual pork product

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Kirby Shearing of Soul Projects, Jimmy Shu of Hanuman and others on the pleasures and perils of running a remote restaurant

The countrywayWorking holidaysWhat you need to know before hiring workers from overseas, page 14

Phoning it in How teleworking can make your business better, page 38

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Chris Stubbs of Bayleaf event catering brings his rock ’n’ roll swagger to the corporate hospitality scene

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DonTassie’s legendary

award-winning restaurateur, Don Cameron, shares

his classic hits

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StringtheoryEddie Leung from Spago, Beverly Hills, Sydney, talks about how to take fine dining to the ’burbs

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Asian valuesSimon Denton explains his switch from fine dining to Japanese-themed informal dining—just don’t call it Japanese tapas!

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can be acknowledged on a noticeboard in the restaurant, on your website or blog, or with a certificate. Even verbal acknowledgement and a pat on the back can be incentive to keep on improving.

Goals should encourage improvement where you think the restaurant could do better: staff attendance, punctuality, friendly service, menu knowledge, reduced breakages and waste.

Remember, however, “never to tie chefs’ incentives


Management

Richard Clark, “Adopting a more positive motivational climate can increase individual and team confidence, interpersonal and organisational trust, collaborative spirit, optimism, positive emotions and values about work.”

In short, that means a positive, productive team, reduced staff turnover and higher productivity. As Luke Mangan says, “The best incentives schemes are win-win situations for everybody.”

to food costs”, Luke Mangan warns, “as quality can suffer.”

If you decide to run your incentives program in competition form, the best advice is to opt for a series of short ones, vary the goals so everyone gets a shot at winning and keep the spirit light-hearted and fun.

Incentives programs require some time and creativity in the planning, but they yield countless long-term benefits for the restaurateur. According to

MADMPM1226-1 barra advert.indd 1 1/05/14 11:51 AM

Marketing


Astute restaurateurs are offering babysitters. Yes, you read that right. Natasha Shaw explains

night…with the kids

Date


Restaurants that come complete with a babysitter? Who ever thought the day would come?

Certainly not those parents who’d given up on date night and have instead opted for the occasional ‘romantic’ Thai takeaway around the family dining table once the kids have fallen asleep. Or those who had cut down on date nights or catch-ups with friends at restaurants to only a couple of times a year due to the cost of a babysitter on top of a nice dinner, bottle of wine and a cab.

Child supervision is the latest service provided by just a handful of cafes and restaurants around the country, but it’s a trend that is going to really take off as parents begin to take advantage of the option and more and more establishments start jumping on the bambino-care bandwagon.

The establishment in Sydney that is kicking off this innovation with its Parents’ Nights is The Roosevelt Bar & Diner in Potts Point. The idea came to fruition when owner Sven Almenning and his wife found it difficult to schedule babysitting around adult dinners either by themselves or with friends who also had adolescents. Almenning decided to employ the qualified and trusted babysitter (who already takes care of his four-year-old twin boys) to look after kids between the ages of two and 12 every Wednesday night at the restaurant. The

concept is simple. Parents pay $20 and their children are taken to a private room where they are fed and entertained. In the meantime the parents soak up a delicious meal and adult conversation in the main dining room.

“Everyone who has been in has loved it,” says venue manager Ben Hickey. “Parents are able to enjoy their meal and a few drinks while having the children taken care of at the back of the venue. The parents that are a little bit more concerned about their kids can easily check on them.”

As you could guess, the kids think it’s great. And why wouldn’t they jump at another chance to have fun and make new friends? “We set up a TV and play a Pixar film. We also have activities, such as finger-painting and Play Doh, etc, for the kids,” adds Hickey. “The babysitter brings different activities along each week.”

The baby businessOffering child-friendly activities is really nothing new in the cafe/restaurant world. There are tonnes of venues that supply drawing equipment for toddlers and tweens, and many larger restaurants and clubs that provide soft play areas and kids’ play zones. But actual supervision for children is something new altogether and it shows that restaurateurs are starting to think beyond typical food and drink marketing ideas, such as babyccinos, children’s meals and discount offers, to get parents to walk into their venues.

“Restaurants will always offer what their customers want. That’s why the restaurant trade has continued to grow year-on-year,” says Restaurant & Catering Australia chief executive officer John Hart, who encourages restaurants to come up with new initiatives that deliver on consumer desires. “My view is child supervision is giving parents a reason to go out without having to think about babysitters.” And this idea can only lead to increased bums on seats.

Despite the fact The Roosevelt Bar & Diner is known for being primarily a cocktail bar and parents are generally discouraged from bringing children, its leap to catering for kids midweek is gaining in popularity. “The Parents’ Nights allow parents who wouldn’t normally bring children in here a chance to come for a meal and a drink while

their kids are entertained,” Hickey explains. “We are seeing an increase in business on the Wednesday night as parents can now come to the venue without having to pay for a babysitter at home. This means we are getting more people through the door with minimal extra overheads.”

How the others are doing itCheekyChinos in Melbourne’s Chadstone is a cafe that embraces parents of all children, including the four-legged variety. In addition to having a pet zone devoted to folks with fur-children, the owners hired a psychologist to design a room filled with developmental play equipment and now provides qualified supervisors to watch kids from six months to six years old for up to an hour for a fee. It has even gone one step further and donates 50 cents from every child’s visit to Save the Children Australia.

A business that’s being running for nearly two years in New York, and we can’t wait to see something similar in Australia, is called Parent P-L-A-Y. It


Marketing

was set up to encourage a peaceful and relaxing meal, and discourage juggling romantic conversation with Mum searching for the wipes in her handbag. It’s essentially a drop-and-dine service. Parents book a dinner at a participating restaurant—one which has a separate function room, space or play area—and then arrange for one of Parent P-L-A-Y’s pre-screened babysitters and entertainers to come and look after their children in the restaurant. It means the parents can indulge in a little ‘alone time’ with the peace of mind that their kids are being looked after nearby.

Kids are the futureIt seems many parents are no longer satisfied with rarely dining out until the kids are old enough to look after themselves, or employing an expensive

babysitter on a regular basis just so they can indulge in our country’s cuisine. “The demographic that

is fuelling the small bar scene in Sydney

is now starting to have young families. They still

want to go out and be social so we are offering them the

best of both worlds,” says Hickey.And it’s thinking like this that can

greatly increase an establishment’s bottom line. It goes without saying that the most successful business ideas have been borne out of the necessities of others. “Either you have to be ahead of the curve or you’re playing catch-up,” adds Hickey. “There are a huge number of venues to choose from, the vast majority of which serve great food and drinks, and everyone’s looking for a niche to get ahead.”

It may just be that finding unique ways to cater for parents and kids is your winning niche.

“We are seeing an increase in business on the Wednesday

night as parents can come to the venue without having to

pay for a babysitter.”Ben Hickey,

The Roosevelt Bar & Diner, NSW

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ADVERTORIAL


W hether you own a large national franchise or a small corner café, Zoo Business Media

has the perfect branded audio solution for your business.

Zoo Business Media are experts in delivering reliable, high quality background music, branded music video, and creative on-hold messaging to thousands of Australian businesses.

The group of companies includes the multi award winning 1800 ONHOLD, Voiceovers NOW! and Zoo Music. Zoo Business Media has a long tradition of supplying quality background music to members of the Restaurant & Catering Association, and are proud to be a national associate member supporting the needs of the industry.

Partnering with leading businesses from the hospitality industry, Zoo Business Media supplies music that not only creates the perfect ambience, but is compliant with the latest music licensing and copyright laws.

Founder, Troy Cooper says, “In addition to major label playlists, we have direct arrangements with hundreds of leading artists and can supply their music to restaurants to use as background music.

“This gives restaurants access to thousands of fully licensed

tracks in various styles and genres. Customised playlists can be created to suit any restaurant theme—ranging from international, instrumentals, contemporary pop, modern jazz and café grooves, plus there’s new music being added everyday,” Cooper says. “The artists are paid their royalties directly, so no PPCA involvement is required.”

Zoo Business Media can deliver restaurant ambience through great music and digital technology for an $89.95 per month fee. For that, restaurants receive Zoo Business Media’s latest music box player and a certificate of exemption from the PPCA fees. The music player is the latest technology in audio storage and playback, and can mix in subtle restaurant ID’s or a jingle after the songs if required. New tracks are automatically received without the need for any staff involvement.

Own more than one establishment and want to maintain brand consistency across venues? Branded music video is a popular solution for many of Zoo Business Media’s major clients.

With restaurant branding ID’s on screen, and a fantastic selection of appropriate music videos, Zoo Music’s music video technology enables you to enrich the customer experience with great sound and vision.

Complete the package with a professionally produced on-hold voice messaging service and you have the ultimate branded audio solution.

So for all your in house music, video and phone messaging needs, get in touch with Zoo Business Media.

Contact Vicki Travers, General Manager on 1300 139 913 or visit us at www.zbm.com.au to hear our latest playlists and demos.

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POS/Technology Product GuideADVERTORIAL


R edCat leads the way in POS and management systems in the hospitality industry. RedCat provides

an integrated, end-to-end, Point of Sale, Accounting and Business Management solution that gives users total control of their business. This includes integrated software and hardware solutions for point of sale and accounting that can manage sales, staff, stock and payroll, through to accounts, GST, customer loyalty and web based multi-site reporting.

What you can expect from a RedCat POS system:n Provides an Accurate Snapshot of

your Business: At any one time you can take a look at an up-to-the-minute performance of your business. It will allow you to identify issues and opportunities.

n Easier tracking of sales: Restaurants deal with a high volume of cash and credit card transactions each day. Restaurant POS software tracks these sales, enabling businesses to see which items are selling and identify the need for menu changes.

n Easier preparation of statements such as profit and loss and tax: With this feature, necessary figures are right in the system, saving hours of time and effort.

n Enhanced security at the point of sale: Using password protection, POS software can help reduce or eliminate employee theft or unauthorised discounting.

n Better tracking of inventory: Keep close tabs on inventory and food usage. Identifying usage patterns allows for better planning of ingredient purchases, eliminating or minimising shortages, as well as decreasing the incidence of over-ordering.

n Tighter off-site control: Remote monitoring of sales, inventory usage, labour patterns, and the like allows problems that may otherwise have

remained undetected to be quickly identified and addressed, protecting the bottom line.

n More effective use of human resources: Deploying restaurant POS software frees up staff from performing time-consuming tasks. Time saved can be devoted to customer service, again bolstering the potential for increased profitability.

n POS systems provide enormous marketing opportunities: With loyalty programs and mobile phone apps for offers, online ordering and gift cards, you can cross-sell and up-sell to increase sales

The modular nature of a RedCat system means that it can grow with your business. RedCat can also tailor a customised solution to suit your business requirements, and even integrate multiple solutions into a single reporting structure. RedCat’s breakthrough technology is used extensively by some of Australia’s leading restaurant groups including the Made Establishment in Melbourne, The Grand Pacific Group and The Fink Group in Sydney and The Bath Hotel Group in Adelaide.

A leader in hospitality point of sale and accounting software since 1992, RedCat understands the dynamic nature of the industry and aims to make management of your business easier

by providing simple and easy-to-use solutions that free up time to focus on the more important things in life.

An investment in a RedCat solution can generate immediate cost savings that go straight to your businesses bottom line.

For further details on how a RedCat point of sale solution can benefit your business call 1300 473 322 or visit www.redcat.com.au

Melbourne OfficeTelephone: 1300 4 REDCAT (1300 473 322)International: +61 (0)3 8687 7800Fax: + 61 (0)3 9696 1553email: [email protected]: Level 2, 70 Park Street, South Melbourne Victoria 3205

Sydney OfficeTelephone: 1300 4 REDCAT (1300 473 322)International: +61 (0)3 8687 7800Fax: + 61 (0)3 9696 1553email: [email protected]: Suite 201, 15 Belvoir St, Surry Hills NSW 2010

Brisbane OfficeTelephone: 1300 4 REDCAT (1300 473 322)International: +61 (0)3 8687 7800Fax: + 61 (0)3 9696 1553email: [email protected]: Office 2A, Lakes Vista Office Park, 2-4 Flinders ParadeNorth Lakes QLD 4509

Invest in the right POS solutionThere is no doubt that a good Point of Sale system will help your hospitality business run more efficiently and profitably. However, it’s vital to choose the right POS system for your business.

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ADVERTORIAL


H &L Australia’s POS Management Solution developed specifically for the hospitality industry

is combating the two greatest costs to any venue: labour and material costs.

The solution, claimed as an intelligent system by its users, incorporates POS, Inventory Management and Workforce Solutions.

Rocks Bar and Grill—a busy alfresco dining restaurant along the Glenelg Pier in South Australia—is one of the restaurants who have invested in the solution.

“We knew we needed more than just a POS system if we wanted to save on operating costs,” says Tom Sargent, IT Manager at Rocks Bar and Grill.

As a result of better management of our materials—greater inventory and staff control—the restaurant is now generating a higher G.O.P. (gross operating profit).

H&L wants to encourage other restaurants to follow suit with the POS solution that 'does it all'.

“There are long-term benefits of investing in a total POS integrated Management and Workforce Solution, instead of just the standard POS system,” H&L Australia’s Director of Business Development & Marketing Burt Admiraal says.

Mr Admiraal encourages all hospitality venues, not just restaurants, looking to increase their G.O.P., to think beyond their POS.

H&L Australia has a suite of products that integrate into their POS solutions to help venue’s reduce costs, however it has now added BooKBooK™ to bring more customers through the doors.

BooKBooK™, an electronic bookings system, is a simple to use online booking system that enables venues to say goodbye to the paper-based bookings, book and combine all bookings including online, telephone and walk-ins into one central area.

It also integrates directly with the H&L Point of Sale, streamlining the entire booking, dining and customer experience.

Australians are now spending more than ever on eating out.

In addition, as mobile has now overtaken fixed internet access, it is so important for dining venues to connect with their potential customers in that mobile space.

After all, a significant number of dining decisions are made when people are out and about, with the convenience of their smart phone or tablet, not sitting in front of a computer!

To attract customers, a restaurant’s website must contain up-to-date information to showcase the venue and food offering to give it the best opportunity to attract these mobile customers. In addition, this information has to be easily read and navigated on mobile devices. This is called a responsive website.

When using the BooKBooK™ widget within the responsive website, potential customers can book a table immediately and receive immediate confirmation of that booking.

There are a number of benefits of using BooKBooK™ including the power to take bookings anywhere anytime; easily coordinate your bookings; collect data from your

customers to improve your marketing; offer alternatives if the timeslot they want isn’t available; book direct to the table; send booking reminders; and detailed reporting for you to analyse.

“One of the main distinctions between BooKBooK™ and its competitors is its waiting function. If a time or date is not available, BooKBooK™ can wait list the customer and make contact in the event of a cancellation.

Another great feature is that when customers are near to your restaurant, they can also ask BooKBooK™ to go OnQueue™, so they can relax and enjoy a pre-dinner drink, rather than spending time in line waiting for a table. Customers are sent an SMS when a table becomes available,” Mr Admiraal says.

For more information on H&L’s POS Management Solution, please contact H&L Australia 1800 620 041 or visit http://hlaustralia.com.au/solutions/management-solutions.html

Find out more about BooKBooK™ at www.BooKBooKonline.com.au

For a responsive website, with BooKBooK integration, visit www.hospitalitygurus.com.au

Contact Details:Burt AdmiraalDirector of Business Development & MarketingH&L AustraliaM: 0418 550 005 E: [email protected]

The POS solution that “Does it all” Australian restaurants are reducing operating costs and attracting new customers using a leading industry management solution.


http://hlaustralia.com.au/solutions/management-solutions.html



http://www.BooKBooKonline.com.au

http://www.hospitalitygurus.com.au

http://www.hospitalitygurus.com.au

mailto:[email protected]

Whether you are an independent venue or a large franchise, why not give BooKBooK

an interview. You won’t regret it.

1800 670 200 BooKBooKonline.com.au

Take bookings anytime, anywhere

BooKBooK is the staff member that’s always available. BooKBooK is on call 24/7 and takes bookings in real time, allowing your customers

to book right up to close of kitchen.

Provide exceptional customer service

Your customers will love BooKBooK because it’s a great communicator; it’ll never forget a booking

and always sends handy little reminders.

Meet your new front of houseBooKBooK is the most reliable and cost-effective staff member

your venue will ever have.

BooKBooK – the one staff member you can always rely on.

Scan to visit our website

www.hlaustralia.com.auCall Us 1800 620 041

H&L Australia - making all things POS, possible!

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H&L Australia - making all things POS, possible!QUALITY

H&L Australia - making all things POS, possible!


POS/Technology Product GuideADVERTORIAL

Think POS-itive, think experience

Choosing the right Point of Sale system is an investment in optimising how your business operates, so experience counts. Bepoz and Vectron together have over 60 years’ experience as leaders

in the POS hospitality industry, and we are now under one management. We understand the demands of hospitality businesses in today’s hectic and immediate world, and the increasing need to streamline suppliers, increase technology, integration and security.

That’s why we’ve developed one of the most powerful total POS solution packages on the market today. Incorporated with our advanced IP CCTV, Digital Signage and Paging systems we can revolutionise the way you do business.

With our intuitive front of house interface, through to our impressive back office reporting, analytics and stock control you’ll have more time on your hands.

Our advanced IP CCTV provide more than just a security system against theft, you’ll have greater mobility with live remote access monitoring, transactions linked to cameras and with recorded footage you can better train staff on great customer service.

Using our digital signage and menu boards you can produce brilliant point of sale tools. They create opportunities to engage patrons and increase sales though upselling of specials or new menu items. Robust and networked the platform offers flexibility and scalability.

For VIC/SA/WA contact Vectron on 1300 530 509, for NSW/ACT/QLD contact Bepoz on 1300 670 150 for more on the automation and optimisation of your business.

Pizza bases

When you think about waste in a restaurant setting, you’re probably thinking

about food. But many restaurants waste thousands every year because their premises don’t make efficient and intelligent use of lighting.

Energy comes at a premium, and one of the biggest energy overheads is the cost of your restaurant lighting. Good planning when you start out can save you, and the environment, in the long run—but so can a clever retrofit. It’s all about selecting the technologies that work for you.

Designing lighting efficiency from the ground upPlanning for natural light may be the best investment you ever make in a new venue. There are no running costs for the full-spectrum light from the sun during day sittings—you just need a clever builder or architect and a good site. It may be worth paying a premium for these to enjoy the savings later.

Neil Slater, founder of Scratchley’s in Newcastle, NSW, developed his restaurant with environmental responsibility in mind. Scratchley’s passive solar design is assisted by its position—perched on the edge of the water and facing north.

The building is well positioned to take full advantage of the sun through floor-to-ceiling windows, and the clever use of eaves ensures that the harsher rays are filtered out. “We’re fortunate to be located where we are—not everyone has the ability to take advantage of the natural setting this way,” Slater says. “You make the best use of what you have available to you.”

Ways to work with what you have may include planning for skylights and windows to improve natural light, or deflecting heat and glare with the use of eaves, shades, louvres and translucent wall panels. Wall colours can absorb or reduce light, depending on the needs of the space, and other tricks include reflection—well-placed mirrors and bright, shiny floors and surfaces—and ‘piping’, which distributes natural light through fibre optic materials into the darker parts of the restaurant.

Retrofitting an existing restaurantAn existing restaurant may not benefit from good passive lighting, but it’s still possible to make considerable savings by upgrading your lighting system. It’s important to take a holistic approach to your overhaul, although buying fittings online or attempting a do-it-yourself job on your lighting can end in disaster.

A consultation with a lighting expert can help you to assess existing lamp

types and quantities, light levels, dimming compatibility and total consumption. A lighting designer can also tell you where you might currently be using inappropriate lighting for things such as customer and staff comfort, building size and shape or safety in terms of heat exposure and the potential for fire.

Time-pressed restaurateurs may find that computer-based lighting design, which matches existing and desired light levels with more efficient technologies, is well worth the investment.

“Some issues I see too often are over-lit spaces, resulting in wasted energy; lights used in outdoor areas during the day, just because they happen to be on the same circuit as the indoor lighting; and no intelligence in typically unoccupied spaces that could benefit from sensor lighting,” ESIC Lighting product director Stefan Maric says.

Which bulb technology?In simple terms of hourly cost per bulb, LED is the most efficient form of lighting, followed by fluorescents, which includes compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) and T8 bulbs, then halogen, and finally, the old incandescent bulbs. However, achieving the right look for your restaurant is not as simple as making a bulb-for-bulb switch.

“Within each type of lamp you can

Technology


Sue Nelson discovers how to keep costs low and the ambience high

Let there be

light


“It is possible that one could provide a

more efficient lighting system with high-

quality, high-efficacy CFLs than with cheap,

low-quality LEDs.”Paul Kuck, Ecova

find varying degrees of quality and efficacy. It is possible that one could provide a more efficient lighting system with high-quality, high-efficacy CFLs than with cheap, low-quality LEDs,” says Paul Kuck, who works with foodservice clients to design and implement resource-management programs as an energy manager with US-based energy and sustainability management company, Ecova.

“The distribution of the fixtures, the lamp wattage, ballast type and lighting needs all play a role in producing an efficient system. So, again, one could design a system that is more efficient using 32-watt lamps than another with 25-watt lamps.”

It’s important to ensure that the lighting system is compatible with your particular space.

What about other options for lighting the dining space? Candles seem like another way of going off-grid, and they’re perfect for restaurants. Their running costs, however, are not so attractive.

“Candles are good for ambiance but they aren’t a good means of lighting or necessarily a safe option,” Kuck explains. “There are non-petroleum based candles available, but they often can be prohibitively expensive for most restaurants based on the sheer volume they use.”

Back-of-house lighting“In the back-of-house, high-performance T8 lamps are still the best option, though LED tubes are quickly improving in quality and pricing and promise to replace fluorescents in the near future,” Kuck says. “One of the drawbacks of LEDs is that they do not perform well in hot environments so they may not be a good option for overly hot kitchens.”

The best money is often spent on staff training. “There are simple behavioural opportunities,” says Kuck. “Kitchen staff are usually the first to arrive and typically only use a small part of the restaurant, so they don’t need to turn on lights throughout the restaurant. Breaking old habits can be tough, but these simple changes do not cost anything and behavioural-based savings do make a difference in utility bills.”

And don’t forget car park, office and toilet lighting. “Assuming you have the most efficient lighting already installed, various lighting controls are the best option for reducing costs,” says Kuck.

“Exterior lighting, particularly parking lot lights, can have high wattage and is often more wasteful compared to interior lights. A combination of a photo sensor with a timer is usually the best control option for exterior lights.”

The magic of LEDThere isn’t one technology that works best, but rather a combination of technologies that work in harmony for a range of front- and back-of-house and night and day applications. This said, the consensus of lighting experts is that good LED lighting is part of the mix.

“If you’re fitting out a new venue, you can find an LED globe for just about any

setting, including some that look very stylish and give off a similar light to the old-fashioned incandescent globes,” says Lucy Best, community engagement and communications manager at Positive Charge, a not-for-profit social enterprise run by independent energy experts. “Remember, although they cost more to purchase, the reduced running costs and increased lifespan make them more than worthwhile.”

Best cites a venue that paid $14,000 in initial costs to replace halogen downlighting with LEDs, but will save around $9000 per annum in electricity bills on lighting alone—the lights will have paid for themselves in under 18 months. These calculations do not include the savings made from reduced air conditioning costs, because halogens put out a lot of heat, but this is also worth considering.

This saving can also be measured in terms of 61 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. Positive Charge helps businesses access the Sustainable Melbourne Fund (check for an equivalent in your state), allowing them to pay off the cost of installation with the savings they make—so there are no upfront costs to upgrade.

Stefan Maric has delivered similar results for a restaurant client. ESIC Lighting replaced all 50W and 35W halogen downlights with the same number of 10W downlights. The lights were in operation 15 hours per day, seven days per week. The halogen lighting running cost was $4577 annually. By contrast, the LED lighting running cost was $832 annually. The payback period was just under 10 months, with an ongoing saving of $3745 annually.

light

Same, same but different? Ben Canaider reveals what customers want


Drinks

In barista infested cafes to sourdough infected bakeries; from the indubitably organic fruit and vegetable stores to the bio-dynamic blessings of celebrity chefs and the supermarkets they serve, every food and beverage we first-worlders now ingest is attempting to speak to us personally. Authentically. Organically. Sustainably. The entire FMCG category (that’s fast-moving consumer

goods for the few remaining innocents) has reinvented itself as ‘niche’. Niche is the new norm.

Which is why your wine list, spirit offerings, beer taps, cocktails and hitherto unknown and undiscovered beverages need to follow suit. Otherwise your patrons might think they’re not in a bar or a restaurant, but in a corporate catering tent—sorry, I mean marquee—at a C-list tennis tournament. If that’s free, it’s all right; but when the patrons are handing credit cards over your bar, your drinks list needs to be definitely ‘niche’.

For liquor licensees, this is a good and bad thing. It’s good because, at a base level, most of it is relatively easy. Liquor companies and producers have been leading the charge in putting pseudo locavore, niche sustainability into their beverage packaging for a while now, so most of your inventory already comes pre-loaded with a personalised enviro-friendly, niche sentiment (however faux it might be). But adding a bit of genuine, unalloyed ‘niche’ to your drinks list is the tricky bit. There are angles of attack, however.

Matching wines and other beverages to your unique and very geographically specific menu is one way that works well. Pilu at Freshwater, a beach suburb of northern Sydney, has done this beautifully, and very naturally, with its Sardinian food and Sardinian-weighted wine list. It’s deep speaking to deep. And it works so effortlessly that customers can feel free of the irksomeness and awkwardness that, for those few of us left who are not qualified winemakers, is so typically associated with choosing wine. This approach is even more effective when it hasn’t been too commercially exploited—such as we nowadays see with poor old tapas.

Pursuing niche further, an old trick but quite a good one is an exclusive house wine offering from a winery. With more than 2000 wineries now in operation in Australia, the chance at striking a reasonable commercial relationship with one—particularly one that’s close to home—is in no way farfetched. From the winery’s point of view you provide an outlet for wines that are either surplus to requirements or the victim of a cancelled order. The winemaker might even have wine in the tank that needs a home before the next vintage comes along. I hasten to add, this should really be seen as a long-term relationship. Over time you’ll be the winner with a true house style of red, white and pink—and wine that is not just some dodgy leftover that will disgruntle the customers.

Brewing or having your own beer brewed off-site is a similar approach. And you’d be surprised how many micro-breweries

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are prepared to do a ‘cleanskin’ brew for your bar’s exclusive use. With a bit of thought, you can even dial-up the sort of flavour you want, or get the brewer to copy an international style lager. Besides having a micro-brewery on-premise, this is about as niche as one can get, as far as beer goes.

Supporting local brewers is another way to add niche-ness. Such true craft brewers are still on a roll with the hipster demographic, as they suggest a sense of belonging and local community; and they’re increasingly organic and/or biodio. The apex craft beer predator here is probably Mountain Goat, at least in Melbourne, from where the beer hails. It’s increasing retail presence might be diluting a little of the niche factor, but there are plenty of other craft beer brands that want a local liquid base. And it’s not rocket surgery: if you have a craft brewery around the corner from your premises, you’d be mad not to be selling their beer, particularly on tap.

Specialist organic and biodynamic house-made infusions that you use as tea or mixed drinks additives is another obvious drawcard, as are the increasing number of Australian-made spirits creeping into the über-cool bars of the capital’s inner-city precincts. Gin is probably the best example of this, and if the

increasingly professionalised set of bar tenders is any gauge, such gins are set to be the pour de jour in 2015. Look out for such examples as McHenry Classic dry gin, West Winds’ The Sabre, Dobson’s and Kangaroo Island Spirits’ O gin.And do not forget Australian-made

vermouth. Maidenii and Regal Rogue are local producers doing remarkable things with

this fortified wine, utilising some autochthonous flavouring agents in the process. These are unique

examples of vermouth, and should be leveraged so.Such locally produced beverages also tie in neatly with

a mainstay of your niche offering: a library of curated classic cocktails. Particularly if they are built on the ‘genuine’ recipe created by, oh, let’s say, Harry Fabricato at the legendary Bar Americano in Amsterdam in 1927 at the height of the tulip-cha-cha craze. None of it needs to be true, of course, but I’ve never heard a single word of any sort of veracity when it comes to cocktails and their origins or recipes. Indeed, the only thing I’ve ever read about cocktails that serves any real purpose is a quote (what was I saying about veracity?) from The Savoy Hotel’s cocktail barman of the 1920s, the semi-famous Harry Craddock. When asked the best way to enjoy a dry martini, he quipped: “Drink it before it laughs at you.”

“Drink it before it laughs at you.”

Harry Craddock, The Savoy Hotel’s legendary cocktail

barman of the 1920s, on the best way to enjoy a dry martini

A nice nichen Download our new app and keep copies of back issues on your iPad.

n The magazine for iPad is completely redesigned and includes useful links, animation and video.

n Download today by searching Restaurant & Catering in the App Store.

Restaurant & Catering magazineis available as a FREE iPad app.


Details

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Six Degrees ArchitectsLevel 4, 252 Collins StreetMelbourne VIC 3000Tel: (03) 9635 6000www.sixdegrees.com.au

Set on 12 hectares, Dan Hunter’s modern restaurant in Victoria’s picturesque town of Birregurra was reinvigorated by architect James Legge of Six Degrees

provide a lot of colour. The materiality is also there within the food.

“Dan was very hands on with everything from furniture to dinnerware. There are white tablecloths and the upholstered ‘Catifa 53’ chairs are incredibly comfortable—an important factor for the four-hour dining experience Brae offers.

“To create Brae’s identity, Dan turned to Studio Round consultancy (round.com.au) which developed the restaurant’s menus, wine list, signage and website. They explored Dan’s food philosophy, and his respect for nature and the land.

“We’re still involved with Dan and Brae, and have recently put in a council application for accommodation, which will be in a separate building. It’s a reasonable drive to the restaurant for many guests, so I’m sure quite a few would like to stay the night. We hope to have that project completed by the end of the year.

“The restaurant opened last year, and Dan and his team have received stellar reviews as well as awards, including New Restaurant for the 2014 Savour Australia Restaurant & Catering HOSTPLUS Awards for Excellence and Restaurant of the Year for The Age Good Food Guide. Overall, we were always aware that the architecture was not the priority. Dan and his team are the main game, and they need to do their magic without the architecture getting in the way.”

Brae

“Originally, the property was Sunnybrae, a pioneering paddock-to-

plate restaurant owned by chef George Biron. When Dan [Hunter] and his wife Julianne Bagnato formed a partnership with Howard McCorkell and Damien Newton-Brown [of McCorkell Brown Group], they spent quite a while looking around. When this property came up, they knew it was perfect.

“It was a simple farmhouse that needed a new lease of life. Dan wanted a sophisticated space rather than a ‘country cottage’ feel. The interior was stripped back, we

removed internal walls to create a larger room, and a new kitchen was fitted out. We left the original windows but cleaned them up so guests can see the beautiful landscape that stretches in every direction.

“There was a lot of work to do on a relatively modest budget, partly because Dan needed to spend a lot of money on the kitchen. The kitchen’s facilities were gutted and redone with the latest equipment. Guests are aware of this—they can see it without it being completely on display.

“There’s so much craft and skill in the making of Dan’s food that we wanted to reflect some of that in the architecture. Handmade elements appear in the door of the arrival area, and the steelwork looks as if it may have been welded up in the shed by a farmer.

“There are other ‘rural’ cues in the restaurant and arrival experience.

There’s a comfortable waiting area in front of the fireplace—perfect if you’re not sitting at your table straight away.

“We’ve purposefully made the interior palette straightforward and simple but materially rich, while a selection of artworks by contemporary Victorian artists

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RC March 2015