Venue #40

issue forty

2011 P l a n e Fo o d Clubs Special

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JANUARY

Nº 40

Are You Rich & Can You Ride a Horse?

WORLD CLASS

4

Column

Polo. Please help me to understand.

From where I’m sitting, polo is a horse picnic. It’s a day at the races without the bogans.

So why does it have hoity-toity connotations? People have ridden horses for eons. Dozens of civilizations around the world play a version of polo. Head to the high steppes of Central Asia and you can watch a far more skilful game of polo played by maniacs on Arabian steeds, belting shrunken skulls of their enemies around a dirt pitch. Wow. Now that’s worth rolling out of the beanbag for.

Instead, polo in the West is played by ‘athletes’ who possess a very rare combination of attributes: rich/can ride horse.

And for those polo apologists prancing up and down, towing the line about ‘unparalleled skill’ and fitness… or the beauty of man and horse working as one… I have two words for you: Prince Charles.

Actually, I have another two words for you.

Kerry Packer.

And unless you’re going to suggest that these men are/ were supreme athletes and best exemplify man and horse’s unique and primal connection, I think we can all agree that polo tournaments are to athletic contests what the Moomba Birdman is to aviation or the Alice Springs boat race is to rowing regattas. It’s a joke.

Not to say that I could do any better. Polo looks impossibly tough. No wonder most of the game involves lots of galloping about, windmill swinging and fresh-air missing. It’s like trying to play golf from a moving golf buggy.

“And here comes Tiger as he approaches his second shot, his caddy has slowed the buggy down to 20, he has a 9 iron, there’s the backswing… and oh dear, he’s missed.”

I’m all for dressing up, sipping on champers or a Euro beer but let’s stop kidding ourselves, polo isn’t the best reason to frock up and frolic. You’re better off watching a Little Athletics meeting.

Still unconvinced? Okay then, answer me this: why isn’t polo an Olympic event? Curling is. So is some bizarre event that involves shooting, fencing, boxing and

knitting… so why not polo? Easy. Rich people with nothing to do run the Olympics, they don’t compete in them.

So why do companies that should know better, fall over themselves to throw money at polo ‘tournaments’? Excellent question and we all know the answer.

Polo oozes money.

One prominent Australian tournament last year managed to attract royalty, no less. Actually, upon further examination, the ‘royal’ in question was Princess Nathalie of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. No, I didn’t make that up. Although, one wonders who will be on this year’s guest list… Grand Duke Barry of Cheezel-Tooheys-Jatz?

The Klims will turn up, but that goes without saying. (I had to turn Michael and Lindy away from a backyard barbeque last Sunday… “sorry mate, but you can’t just rock up unannounced like this”.)

I know all this is sounding like acid words dripping from the poison pen of a man with a super-sized chip on his shoulder. Well, perhaps. Would I attend a polo tournament if invited? Perhaps… out of curiosity. Am I a miserable bastard? Maybe just a bit.

Which brings me neatly to announcing that this will be my last editorial. My trusty 2IC, Mark Davie, will be occupying the Editor’s chair as of next issue. You’re in very safe hands…

Christopher Holder, Editorial Director Pass on your congratulations to Venue’s new/improved editor at: mark@venuemag.com

“And for those polo apologists prancing up and down, towing the line about ‘unparalleled skill’ and fitness … I have two words for you: Prince Charles”

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JANUARY

Nº 40

Contents

“We wanted to really get the sense of pride in food and beverage at the airport that there is in the city” Gilly Gray, Head of Retail, Melbourne Airport — page 37

JOIN THE CLUBS Clubs & RSLs Special Penrith Panthers Dee Why RSL Castle Hill RSL Pittwater RSL Club Grafton District Services Club Canterbury League Club

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CONTENTS CONTACTS: Advertising Office: (02) 9986 1188 PO Box 6216, Frenchs Forest, NSW 2086 Editorial Office: (03) 5331 4949 PO Box 295, Ballarat, VIC 3353 Publication Manager: Stewart Woodhill (stewart@venuemag.com) Editorial Director: Christopher Holder (chris@venuemag.com) Publisher: Philip Spencer (philip@venuemag.com) Assistant Editor: Mark Davie (mark@venuemag.com) Art Direction & Design: Dominic Carey (dominic@alchemedia.com.au) Additional Design: Leigh Ericksen (leigh@alchemedia.com.au) Circulation Manager: Jen Temm (subscriptions@alchemedia.com.au) Accounts: Jen Temm (accounts@alchemedia.com.au)

alchemedia publishing pty ltd (ABN: 34 074 431 628) PO Box 6216, Frenchs Forest, NSW 2086 info@alchemedia.com.au All material in this magazine is copyright Š 2010 Alchemedia Publishing Pty Ltd. The title Venue is a registered Trademark. Apart from any fair dealing permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. The publishers believe all information supplied in this magazine to be correct at the time of publication. They are not in a position to make a guarantee to this effect and accept no liability in the event of any information proving inaccurate. After investigation and to the best of our knowledge and belief, prices, addresses and phone numbers were up to date at the time of publication. It is not possible for the publishers to ensure that advertisements appearing in this publication comply with the Trade Practices Act, 1974. The responsibility is on the person, company or advertising agency submitting or directing the advertisement for publication. The publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions, although every endeavour has been made to ensure complete accuracy.

New Smooth Operator Design Brief Sit Kit Lit Dee Why Hotel New Shanghai The Millswyn Bacco Wine Bar Pasticceria The Shore Club, Manly Sweet Infinity Colonial Hotel Neverland Plane Food Steer Bar & Grill Jorg Join The Clubs, Clubs & RSLs Special Commercial Edge You Wish

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Adelaide | Brisbane | Darwin | Ho Chi Minh City | Melbourne | Naples | Perth | Shanghai | Singapore | Sydney

Drawing on its touchscreen know-how, MultiTouch working with Green Light Productions has installed the world’s largest hospitality multi-touch display installation.

Tokyo’s Graffiti Bar, in the Roppongi area, embraces Japan’s penchant for technological innovation without crossing the culturally taboo line of doing anything mildly disruptive. Instead it’s a ‘high-concept’ art installation seating 120 high-end clientele that can dabble in a little ‘responsible’ bombing of their own by dragging a few fingers across one of 14 x 46-inch and 32-inch MultiTouch Cell LCD units set up as bar tops and table tops. Customers can browse menus, play games, drag around champagne bubble screensavers, or grab a VIP card to open up more tabletop wizardry. www.multitouch.fi

Response Group has put the finishing touches to the Russell Wine Bar on George St, The Rocks. The wine bar was just one component of the project that also included an extension to The Russell Hotel and The Fortune of War, creating a linking corridor. New amenities such as a lift have been added and new stairs linking all floors. But it is the jewel of the project, and exudes old world charm from breakfast to late night drinks.

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If there was ever a lesson to be learnt, it would be that Collingwood should stay off the booze and stick to hot pies. There was the time when young rookie Sharrod Wellingham blew twice the legal limit and cost Eddie a fast million in sponsorship dollars from TAC. And now Eddie’s landed himself in a spot of hot beach water. Following the aborted sale of The Beach Hotel in Albert Park in early 2010, VCAT has charged the board of directors with offences ranging from a rowdy 2009 Grand Final day party to punters relieving themselves on neighbouring lawns. Surprised? To pay for their misdemeanours, the Collingwood board has been ordered to attend booze school, including Eddie, CEO Gary Pert, Victoria Racing Club director Paul Leeds and former Olympian/ golden child Alisa Camplin. Inspector Lisa Hardeman said she considered the licencee (Collingwood) ‘not a suitable person to hold the license’. Given the bargain basement asking price of $2m (still rejected by the building’s freehold owners) it seems Eddie would agree.

Melbourne’s RSVP show launched its latest black and gold look at its new digs, the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne.

After a few speeches from various Exhibitions and Trade Fairs folk outlining the need for the revamp, the new branding was unveiled from behind a red curtain with a bit of song and dance and the help of Staging Connections. The show is next June, and the place to be for ideas and inspiration for events.

VIDEO WATCH

Dietmar Sawyere has added another Ad Lib Bistro to his portfolio, this time in Double Bay. Dietmar also designed the interiors for the new restaurant, taking inspiration from its sister restaurant in Pymble, including the butcher paper covered tables.

Regular Masterchef face Matt Moran is taking the Aria experience Sydney wide, announcing the availability of Aria Catering for functions and events run by Aria sister company Opera Points Events. www.ariacatering.com.au

Hurricane, 30 Seconds to Mars

tan manhole cover; American flag struck by lightning; pet mouse in a cage; a cute Fuji pocket camera. What?!

And just when you think your fingernails are gripping onto the merest thread of an inkling of what the heck is going on, more incomprehensible mayhem ensues: a fast-cut edit of a leather-clad sado-nun belting someone upside the noggin will flash across the screen like some novelty nutjob. Or alternatively, beardy band bloke wanders past a multi-faith book-burning bonfire. He looks confused. My oath he should be confused, he should in fact

get me out of this ostentatious, undergraduate creep-pic and hook me up with Justin Timberlake for a Yogi Bear duet!.

be screaming —

Eurgh. There’s no way to intriguingly weave a review of Hurricane that will leave you guessing and tantalised. Quite simply, Hurricane is the worst music video ever produced. It’s one of the most tortuous 13 minutes you’re likely to spend. If you thought Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut was breathtakingly up-itself, then you ain’t seen nothing until you’ve seen Hurricane.

Everything about this clip is wrong. Before we’ve moved beyond the drone of the wanky, intro strings, Euro-babble voiceover, and the name of the bloke moronic enough to admit to producing this tripe, we’re confronted by a brooding, storm-hit New York; bloke fanging it on a motorcycle; hairy band bloke walking on a subway train track; mysterious, Manhat-

If at college you thought Betty Blue was the best movie ever made then you may well make it all the way to the end of Hurricane.

And if you feel the cavalcade of pretentious booby on display, and the breathless Eurodoggerel gives Hurricane some arthouse cre-

dentials… then snap out of it. It’s tosh. Intolerable, execrably pretentious twaddle.

Still not entirely convinced? Okay, try this stanza on for size: “There I was standing on the edge of the abyss, peering long, I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no more to ever dare to dream before.” Huh?!

Most children grow out of the “and then I woke up” conclusion to their essay writing before they leave primary school. Not these guys. The surreal schtick is wielded more brutally than a leather truncheon in the Hellfire Club.

30 Seconds to Mars deserve a lifetime of handcuff-wielding loopy groupies. May their audiences be populated by wild-eyed nutcases trying to pass on keys to their chastity belts with some face-munching pashing. Sorry to be so vicious, but this band deserves to pay — bigtime — for foisting this depraved, risible muck on a world that could do without it.

Okay, you can flush the toilet now. — CH.

INTRODUCING THE RED-1F FLUSHMOUNT REMOTE CONTROL

Peroni recently opened the Momenti pop-up bar that lasted from October till December 2010. Thousands came through the venue and reacquainted themselves with the Italian beer, and indulged in a little aperitivo too.

St Kilda locals have rigorously guarded their turf against incoming developers in recent years. So it’s nice to see a local, David Carruthers, developing his business by winning the tender to operate the St Kilda Memorial Hall. Carruthers, owner of Dogs Bar and SlowDown in St Kilda, has been working with the Fringe, Melbourne Comedy and St Kilda Film Festivals as well as hosting local arts events. Carruthers plans to use the newly rebranded MEMO Theatre to expand upon those events, creating a new live venue and centre point for locals and visitors to the area. The 400-capacity venue is set to come alive shortly, but is available for bookings by contacting info@dogsbar.com.au

TAKING THE MICKYFrom Grate to Great Story: Micky Pinkerton

The Great Northern in Newcastle is a lovely 1930s hotel. Its history is not unlike that of many establishments up and down the Eastern seaboard of Australia. In other words, its destiny has closely mirrored the fortunes of regional Australia itself.

In its early years the Great Northern played host to the great and the good, including none other than Edward VIII (pre packing it all in for the Yank divorcee). Apparently Little Richard also passed through in 1957 — chucking his multiple gold rings into the murky waters of the Hunter; a flamboyant display that was part of renouncing a hedonistic past in favour of a lifetime service to the Good Lord. (Probably an apocryphal story but the Stockton Ferry is a pretty harrowing experience, even for locals.)

Anyway, from majestic destination hotel in the ’40s and ’50s, the Great Northern then started a quiet slide towards B-grade accommodation status. By the ’80s, its 100plus rooms were mostly rented by visiting footballs teams and surfers who were in town for the annual Surfest.

Nonetheless it still had a certain panache. In between the dodgy bars downstairs and the sagging beds upstairs, was the East Room where the city’s arts students would lounge in generous couches arranged around an incongruously placed Saturday Night Feverstyle flashing squares dancefloor.

And for a bunch of teenagers making bad home movies in the ’80s it was the perfect film set. Many Sundays were spent in the more derelict sections of the hotel filming our own versions of Nightmare on Elm Street.

But old bachelor boarders, surfers, arts students and wannabe celluloid teenagers don’t pay the bills. So by the early 1990s, when BHP was already half shut down and Newcastle was well into the recession “we had to have”, it was sold, earthquake-damaged, to someone who had big plans for it.

You guessed it — an Irish Pub Makeover.

The absolutely stunning 1930s solid timber joinery of the enormous bar in the front saloon was ripped out and the classic furniture hoyed, while the flat packed Blarney was installed. The locals never forgave them this insult and the new pub ‘concept’ bombed.

In time, new owners and fresh rumours abounded – that it was going to become a swanky hotel or converted into apartments.

In fact, a young lass bought it and has been slowly resurrecting the Great Northern.

With a good live music booker for the main bar and DJs for the smaller bar, the place has its mojo back with a regular crowd of young hipsters. Although the hotel is clearly being renovated on a budget and in stages, it’s coming along nicely. All that remains of the Irish Pub is the olde worlde paintings on the ceilings — blessed relief.

The key point is the place is loved again for what it is instead of what some random outsider thinks it should be. And the crowds are returning because of it, a bit like Newcastle itself. When some aristo is ensconced in one of the suites upstairs and there’s a film crew in the corridors shooting a surf-horror-rock movie I’ll know the renaissance is complete.

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Alexa Nice has been busy of late. The latest Queensland venue to receive her luxurious design touch is the Picture Lounge Bar & Dining. It’s a bit of a departure from what is typically the nightclub district in Orchid Avenue, Surfers Paradise. For Managing Director and former professional photographer, Nicko Ivanov, it was an opportunity to fulfil a niche and a dream. Hailing from Fortitude Valley, the twin level bar was the perfect opportunity for Ivanov to unleash some 21st-century sophistication on Surfers Paradise. There’s old-fashioned lighting, booth seating, and of course, feature walls of iconic vintage photography.

Neil Perry doesn’t wait around to do things, but he understands that sometimes his customers do.

Situated in Crown Towers is Neil Perry’s version of a hotel bar, The Waiting Room. Designed by architect Grant Cheyne in association with 1:1 Architects, it is, of course, more than a simple lobby bar, but a collection of inspiration from places like the Waldorf Astoria. There’s antique crystal glassware, copper mugs, and even the music has been curated by Anton Monsted, Baz Luhrmann’s music supervisor on Australia and Moulin Rouge.

Having only recently launched the totally new Asian-inspired Spice Temple concept in Sydney, Neil Perry just opened his second one in Crown. 1:1 Architects and Grant Cheyne worked together on this one too. Cheyne hit the ground running, having worked on the Sydney version while with Bates Smart. However, he did “take the opportunity to fine tune a few details and turn up the eclectic feel.”

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Blue Diamond has bolstered its penthouse appeal with the addition of an alfresco terrace. 15 storeys up, it’s now one of the highest places you can smoke a Cuban in Melbourne.

The Woolshed Dining Room has officially opened to the public, with head chef Donovan Cooke at the reins.

After a seven-year stint at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, the Atlantic Group enticed Cooke back to Australia to head up the kitchens of the group’s latest projects.

The Woolshed Dining Room is upstairs, overlooking the esplanade at Dockland’s Central Pier, and is a joint venture between the Atlantic Group and Schiavello.

Next up will be the much-anticipated Atlantic Seafood restaurant due to open at Crown in 2011.

Ke-Zu has relocated to a brand new showroom at Level 1, 69 O’Riordan Street, Alexandria NSW. After a hiccup with the phone company that accidently gave them the same number as a well established printing company, Ke-Zu finally has it sorted.

(02) 9669 1788

Kicking off early January 2011, Cuisine Now is the brainchild of Tony Bilson. It is a two-week festival of gastronomy split over three different styles of events. Chefs in the Dining Room will feature lunches and dinners at Bilson’s Restaurant in the Radisson Plaza Sydney, created by international chefs Serge Viera and Jean-Luc Rocha. ‘Masterclasses’ is exactly what it sounds like, and the Gala Dinner will take place at Doltone House Darling Island Wharf.

‘Mr Creative’, Boris von Rechenberg has just opened a pop-up concept in Melbourne’s AC/DC lane called 24 Moons. It’s not as fleeting as some, but it will only be open for two years, before the lease expires. Rechenberg calls it a modern day speakeasy. www.24moons.com.au

The Hotel Hospitality & Design Show is on for a second time in Melbourne in 2011. Venue will again partner with HH&D to bring you the Refurbishment stage. Check it out for the latest in hotel design trends. www.hhdexpo.com.au

Mango Hill Tavern (design by Brand + Slater)

HOW FAMILY FRIENDLY IS YOUR VENUE? venue spoke to the AHA in NSW for its take on getting a bigger chunk of the familyfriendly dollar. venue: How much of an opportunity is there for venues seeking family business?

AHA: Clubs aren’t just about alcohol and gaming anymore. Venues need to provide a wide range of food, entertainment, quality beer, wine and spirits, responsible gaming options and an atmosphere that is enticing to a range of demographics.

Instead of sidelining families in favour of pokies and pool tables, most clubs have geared up for families with multiple entertainment options such as kids’ play areas, game arcades, movies, live entertainment, and even golf. Their restaurants cater for kids and families with dedicated beverages and food options… oh, and soft-serve machines with plenty of sprinkles are a good way of winning the kids over. venue: So how can venues win back the family dollar?

AHA: The Newport Arms overlooking the beautiful Pittwater River has made a point of pursuing the family market by incorporating family facilities into its marketing mix. These include multiple kids’ playgrounds and party packages including activities, games, a kids’ menu, party hats, lolly bags and named birthday cakes for good measure. You can even download invitation blanks from their website and reserve an area for guests. As well as that, a total of five bars and three dining options usually keeps the ‘big kids’ happy. venue: What can venues do to be more family friendly?

AHA: Nowadays there are websites that help families find ‘Kid-Friendly’ venues when planning a night out or going on holiday. Listing on these guides is often free while patrons benefit from free offers and specials — a venue can usually optimise its profile by linking to other tourism and entertainment-based websites. Restaurant and cheap eats guides are also available for listings. Link these back to your own website and watch the enquiries roll in.

Use your big screens to show family-friendly sporting and entertainment events. Boxing and horseracing is fine for the regulars but at certain times of the day family programming can be scheduled. Discrete areas in a venue can be set up to create more personal seating and surroundings, and parent change areas should be considered or perhaps add additional facilities to existing restrooms.

The recently refurbished Mill Hotel has incorporated a large indoor and outdoor family area with quiz nights, family entertainers and kids’ play areas on offer. Most of the families attending are from the local area whose kids attend the same schools so it is a great excuse to meet up in a family friendly environment. venue: Are families returning to local venues since the smoking ban?

AHA: The vast majority of people are re-discovering their local pubs, not only because they no longer have the smell of cigarettes wafting through the venue, but also because people can see that pubs create a casual and vibrant place to enjoy company, whether one on one, in a business group or a group of friends or family. — Ken Stewart

SMOOTH OPERATOR In this three-part series, Sand Hill Road’s Matt Mullins looks at what it takes to find, build and open a hospitality business. In Part One we get organised.

Matt Mullins is a partner in Sand Hill Road hospitality group

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It’s the dream job for so many of us. If you haven’t sat ’round the local with a bunch of mates telling each other how good you’d be at ‘runnin’ a place like this’ you just haven’t lived… Well, you haven’t lived near Melbourne Uni in the mid ’90s anyway, ’cos that’s all we did back then. For us, the dream was discussed and dissected between Psychology lectures, and often during them. But like any career, it’s not all beer and skittles. I’ve often heard movie stars espouse the same theory: that it’s not easy; that it’s actually a lot of hard work, and not nearly as glamorous as it looks. Frankly, I just can’t accept that argument from a bloke who’s dating Miranda Kerr. But I can accept it from a publican, or a bar-owner or restaurateur. It is a lot of hard work, no doubt about it. The hours, while flexible, can be long. And they rarely coincide with the hours your wife or girlfriend works. The work itself can be exhilarating, but often tedious.

And, like anyone self-employed, while the sense of freedom that greets you each morning is priceless, it’s always tempered by the ever-present knowledge that you’re only a few bad weeks from the dumps.

That said, owning your own place is rewarding in ways too disColumn parate and numerous to list — as long as you know what you’re doing. 10 years and eight venues after Sand Hill Road started, we’re wise enough to remember we don’t know it all, and we’re constantly reminding each other of the lessons we’ve learnt along the way. So here’s a few I’ll pass on: PARTNERING FOR THE BIG VENUE DANCE One of the first decisions most people make is whether to go it alone, or to partner with others. It’s the single-most crucial decision you’ll make, and there’s no right answer. The simple truth is that some personalities are simply not cut out for working in a team environment. If that’s you, don’t bother with a partner. Your partner’s desire to make collaborative decisions will frustrate the hell out of you, and your desire to dictate will drive them insane. Hire the expertise you need. You’ll drive them insane too, but they’ll be getting paid to put up with you. Likewise, if you’re a natural collaborator, don’t ever partner with a person who needs to go it alone. The synergy between partners will be the greatest contributing factor to your success or failure, not to mention the greatest contributing factor to your own happiness or despair — be very, very careful indeed.

My partners and I came together aged 25 and 26, when we were all young and inexperienced. We had the luxury of developing our expertise, work ethics and leadership styles together. The upside to this is that none of us were stuck in our ways. The downside came as we often lacked the maturity required to get through difficult, complex business and personal decisions.

Our first few years were incredibly challenging, as we tentatively negotiated our way through the pressurised minefield of small business. But we’ve emerged extremely strong, with a wealth of battle-hardened understanding between us… and a very big hangover.

We can spend every day working with each other, yet still find ourselves hanging around each other at a friend’s party, laughing hysterically in the corner. Don’t get me wrong. We’re not identical. If anything — 10 years, two weddings and three kids down the track — we’re less alike now than when we started. But most importantly, we still hold common values. You can disagree on almost everything else, but it’s very hard to be in partnership with someone who doesn’t see the world the same way you do.

EXIT STRATEGY: LEAVING ON A HIGH Getting into business isn’t all that hard. Knowing how you’re going to get out is often much more difficult. On the face of it, the reality of small business is not encouraging. Most small businesses fail. Most partnerships crumble like a Pompeii statue.

Now the good news. Even the worst case — when a business fails — isn’t necessarily disastrous. I know plenty of people who started a business, found out it wasn’t going to work, enacted an exit strategy, and moved on. To entrepreneurs, small business isn’t an all or nothing proposition. Some ideas work. Some don’t. But every business should teach valuable lessons. A clear, well thought-out exit strategy ensures you have a plan to wind up or sell the business while you still have an asset. The key is to understand when things aren’t working, and either make changes, or get out. Just remember, it needs to be planned in advance.

LAWYERS: YOU NEED ’EM You don’t have to know it all. Ideally, you’ll have some expertise, or at least a passion for some aspect of your business. If you have partners, it seems logical that each of you will bring something different to the business. But even so, there’ll be plenty of ground left to cover. That’s why you need to gather the very best people you can around you. We have a group of people who’ve come to be integral to our business.

From our accountant, to our lawyer, from our cleaner to our beer guy, from our financier to our architect, our planner and our builder, rarely does a day go by without us seeking advice from one or more of them. It takes a lot of time and effort to develop relationships like that. Invariably, you start hiring say, a lawyer, and go through three or four law firms till you find the right fit. You sack the bad ones because good lawyers, like good accountants and architects, can make you hundreds of thousands of dollars. Be ruthless. It’s your money. Once you find the right person, stick with them and remember: small business is personal. Make your relationships personal.

RISKY BUSINESS Rule No. 1 — Don’t put up anything you’re not prepared to lose. Passion is important in business, confidence and belief too, but business is just business. It’s a calculated risk. It’s a gamble. Put up whatever you want, but be prepared to lose it. And ensure you know what you’ll have once it’s gone.

If you can conceive a future having lost your life’s savings and your house, then sure, you can risk the lot. But if you don’t know exactly how you’d survive, you need to find money somewhere else. Which brings us to: Rule No. 2 — Equity is more expensive than debt. Don’t give away any of your business unless you get a partner you want in return. Debt hurts. Debt can be expensive. If you cringe at a home loan of 6.5%, you’ll flip at commercial rates. But if you’re building a good business, debt’s still cheaper than equity.

FIRST TIME ROUND, AGAIN We’re renovating two new venues right now, the Prahran Hotel and the top floors of the Richmond Club Hotel. They’re both due to open this year, along with a third, the Bridge Hotel. Even though we’ve done it all before, it’s still as scary and as exhilarating as it was the first time. The rules we’ve learnt along the way are continually evolving. But the basics stay the same.

DESIGN BRIEF RSLs and Clubs: turned upside down and inside out — People, Plans, Policies, and Politics Story: Russell Lee

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Across the road from our house is a small bowling club.

We have lived here nearly twenty years. Things have changed across the road.

Gone are the cheap Friday bowling club barbeques. They were hard to argue with at $10 a head and the kids loved them. In are many more fashionable parties and functions.

Gone is the third bowling green. They worked out they could cut the staff by 50% by keeping only two greens. In are a Column green couple of bocce courts that don’t require any maintenance.

Gone are the pristine men and women in white with their hats. In are a motley crew that prance around in bare feet and seem to actually be enjoying themselves.

RSLs and Clubs have undergone significant changes in recent years. Pressures have come from all directions. Membership profiles have been turned upside down and legislative changes have turned the buildings inside out.

Take a look at just three of the clubs in Sydney that have undergone major renovations or rebuilds recently and see if you can spot the similarities.

The only thing the same about Dee Why RSL, Canterbury League Club and Panthers at Penrith is that they were all designed by the same firm.

Each had a very different brief so each had a very different solution.

These rapid changes have been partly fueled by legislation. Smoking regulations have probably been the biggest causal factor for change. Clubs have had to make parts of their previously enclosed activities open.

The club industry has collectively spent hundreds of millions of dollars in modifications for compliance and at considerable risk. Take the regulations in NSW, which are quite prescriptive, but which no one seems to know how to confidently interpret. Clubs had to make decisions quickly to prepare for their introduction. Because the Department of Health is complaint-based, it was unable to give guidance as to how the regulations should be interpreted, and so we are only now starting to see how the courts interpret them in retrospect.

Membership profiles at clubs are also not what they used to be. People aren’t as loyal to their local club as they were. It appears to be related to the generational changes.

Many clubs are seeing the average age of their members rise significantly, even as high as 60 to 70 years old. Sure we are living longer but younger members are either not inclined to stick with one club or be a member at all.

Older members were often key contributors to establishing their clubs and maintaining them. A sense of ownership for them is high, whereas younger members don’t share that sentiment. They are just as likely to be members of various clubs at different stages in their lives.

To counter this trend, clubs are developing a better understanding of the people they are trying to attract. Apart from the ‘Social Seniors’, research has typified other profiles that include: High Achievers: Those who have made it and have even expectations of their club.

Life to the Max: Those who haven’t yet made it but want to live the life.

Heartlanders: Those who haven’t made it and want total value for their money.

The facilities provided are now targeted to match the expectations of these different profiles or market sectors. Clubs are also diversifying and expanding the range of activities they offer both on and off site.

Take Rooty Hill RSL as an example. It was affectionately known as the ‘Vegas of the West’. Apart from the ‘traditional’ club with bar, dining room, entertainment area and pokies, it has grown in many areas. It has a Novotel Hotel, a 24-lane AMF bowling centre and a 3000sqm health and fitness facility on site. Plus there is more to come.

Currently the club is developing plans for a new sports and leisure centre.

But it was the events of 12 August, 2010, that have shaped a new understanding of how a club such as this can contribute to our society. When Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott faced a community forum at the club, I doubt that either imagined the consequences. Although there were only 200 people in the audience in this small suburb in the west of Sydney, it influenced many voters across the nation.

Who would have thought that it could be happening at ‘my club’.

Russell Lee, Director at Cox Richardson Architects and Planners, draws on his knowledge and expertise as an international expert on leisure and sport design in writing our column on venue design trends. He has been responsible for many innovative sports and resort facilities in the UAE, Qatar, Taiwan, China, Iran, New Zealand and Australia including Sydney Cricket Ground’s Victor Trumper Stand, Rooty Hill Aquatic Centre and Gymnasium and the FFA’s bid for the FIFA 2018-2022 World Cup. He is the Project Director for the Project Star hotel located adjacent the existing Star City Casino complex.

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Caught In A Nett

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The Nett chair is designed by Ton Haas and made in Italy

by Crassevig Spa. Nett is available in six colours, with fourleg or sled frame, and a matching barstool.

Café Culture: (02) 9699 8577 or www.cafeculture.com.au

High On Natur

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Great Dane has introduced a gorgeous new breakfast barstool. The Natur Stool with its webbed seat is light, with tones of oak and walnut. It’s spacious, with the sensation of a small child with legs dangling. Of course, most adults will feel safe on its four sturdy legs.

Great Dane: (03) 9510 6111 or www.greatdanefurniture.com

Have A Good One

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Plastic Pasha

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New Zealander Alastair Keating designed the Good One range of stools and matching tables. The stools are available in three heights, a stackable 450 and a 650 and 750 with footrests. And the Good One tables are available in dining, bar and coffee table heights and in an array of Dulux Powdercoat colours. They even have a hole for an umbrella.

Pasha by Pedrali is a wingback with a difference. It still has the classic form, but is made from polycarbonate in either white or black glossy finish, or as a transparent version. It can be used indoors or outdoors, and the accompanying lounge table or low seat can be used in conjunction with the armchair or a standalone seat. Upholstered cushions provide that extra touch of comfort to the moulded chair.

Tait: (03) 9416 0909 or info@tait.biz

Yazz: (02) 9300 1800 or www.yazz.com.au

Tea Club Chair

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Tea is inspired by English teatime, with a prêt-à-porte covering of quilted matt velvet upholstery in patterned squares that is reminiscent of traditional tweed. It is an ad hoc selection made from Star upholsteries and Pro2 from Kvadrat in beiges, greys, browns, maroons, greens and copper colours. The hexagonal-quilted and the bi-colour options are key elements of this revised classic. The collection consists of lounge chairs, sofas and armchairs, with new pieces to be added in the near future.

Ke-zu: (02) 9669 1788 or www.kezu.com.au

The EV-Innovation (EV-I) family of loudspeakers is the result of the largest development program in the history of Electro-Voice. Building upon a heritage of audio design excellence proven in thousands of prestigious installations around the world, EV-I systems offer an unprecedented combination of sonic performance, versatility, ease of use, and aesthetics, all focused directly on the requirements of installed sound systems.

At the heart of the EV-I family are brand-new and highly refined transducers, designed by EV engineers—th e most knowledgeable and passionate in the industry—using the very latest developmental and diagnostic tools, exclusive to Electro-Voice R&D. Manufactured to the highest standards in EV factories, EV-I systems collectively represent the most comprehensive family of loudspeakers the industry has ever seen.

• • • • •

Seven distinct coverage patterns from seven newly designed waveguides Six pre-designed finishes, including two weatherized versions Completely flexible installation accessories Intuitive input panels Three system formats: horn-load (EVH), front-load (EVF), and a true line array (EVA)

To learn more, visit www.electrovoice.com/evinnovation

Bosch Communications Systems Unit 2C, 6 Boundary Rd NORTHMEAD NSW 2152 Tel: 02 9683 4752, Fax: 02 9890 5928 Email: boschcomms@au.bosch.com • www.boschsecurity.com.au

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Denon DJ Controller

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The Ultimate Short Throw

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The Denon DN-SC2000 Controller is an affordable, compact, professional-grade, solid steel MIDI controller for laptop DJs. At just $499, it gives a professional interface for mixing and controlling DJ sets, optimised for use with Traktor Pro. Features include a 105mm touch-sensitive jog wheel, 100mm pitch slider with high 14-bit resolution, auto-loop, pitch lock and automatic beat sync. And its steel casing and durable rubber buttons will withstand the most hyped up party DJs.

Hitachi has almost hit the wall when it comes to short throw projectors. The latest Hitachi CP-AW250N is the first release in its, not ultra-short-throw, but ‘ultimate short throw’ projector range. The LCD projector can project a sharp 80-inch image from as little as 56cm from the screen, virtually eliminating any possible shadow on the screen for presentations. It also includes inorganic LCD panels that extend the life of the projector, and a fully adjustable six-axis mount for easy installation.

Audio Products Group: 1300 134 400 or www.audioproducts.com.au

Hitachi: 1800 448 224 or www.hitachi.com.au

Cutting It Close

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Sharp’s PN-V601 ultra-slim bezel 60-inch LCD is specifically designed for video-wall applications. With just 6.5mm between neighbouring monitors, the picture is almost seamless. The enlarge mode can spread one image across up to 25 monitors connected to a PC, and can be used in a variety of applications, including videoconferencing, digital signage and events. The panel is available for $14,795.

Sharp: 1300 135 530 or www.sharp.net.au

Inner Circle

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The American DJ Radius 3000 CD player is a CD/MP3/ WAV player that also allows DJs to play songs from a USB/ SD input. The hardware has a 6-inch jog wheel, nine onboard effects and comes with MIDI capabilities so DJs can control their favourite music software. It also has a neat white LED visual marker that pinpoints the reference point of how far along the track is.

Industry Gear: (02) 9718 4900 or www.industrygear.com.au

JBL Contractor Mix ‘n’ Match

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The JBL Control Contractor 50 series comprises a surfacemounted single 8-inch subwoofer and the Control 52 surfacemounted 2.5-inch satellite speakers. The sub is set up to work with either two or four satellites via a selector switch, and slips easily onto the included wall bracket. It’s a simple and elegant solution for small cafés, and comes in either black or white.

Flushmount options are available in the 40 series, and can be mixed and matched with the 50 series. These are all UL listed for use in air handling spaces and ship with tie rails for the sub and supporting C rings in the box. For outdoors weather resistance, the 62 pendant speaker is IP44 rated and ships with a cable for mounting. JBL rates the Control 50 system of four satellites and a sub to be able to handle floor spaces of up to 100sqm for most applications. Just mix and match the series to get the system that’s right for you.

Jands: (02) 9582 0909 or info@jands.com.au

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Lumi

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Drink It Up

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Lumi is a light collection by Bribe, designed by Nicci Green and handmade by craftsmen in Melbourne. There are two versions in the collection, the Lumi wall sconce and table lamp.

Bribe: (03) 9521 4868 or www.bribeint.com

Watertight At The Source

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Bell-shaped metal pendants have become de rigueur for industrial styling in venue fitouts. Drink, designed by Dante Donegani and Giovanni Lauda, brings a more fluid design and sophisticated touch to the lamp style. Modelled on a wine glass, the pendants are arguably more stylish than their oft-overbearing counterparts, and come in a range of colours.

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ETC has combined the Source Four Zoom optical system with a watertight housing to create the Source Four HID Zoom eX. Powered by the 12,000 hour MasterColor CDM 150W lamp, the Zoom eX is rated IP65 for exterior lighting use and is ideal for pattern projection and bringing out architectural details.

Jands: (02) 9582 0909 or www.jands.com.au

Mondo Luce: (02) 9690 2667 or www.mondoluce.com

Glowing Jellyfish

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The Jellyfish from American DJ is more than just another light fitting, with its plastic case, the Jellyfish not only unleashes bright RGBW colour beams, it’s also a glowing light feature in itself. The Jellyfish uses LEDs to mix a range of colours and has three operational modes; DMX-512, master/slave and sound active. The Jellyfish has no moving parts, runs extremely cool and has a host of built-in programs for creating dynamic effects all night long.

Industry Gear: (02) 9718 4900 or www.industrygear.com.au

Tia LED Outdoors

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The Beacon Lighting LEDLux Tia curved wall bracket and bollard are both set-and-forget energy efficient exterior lighting solutions. Perfect for venues, and cost effective at only $129 apiece, the LED solutions will last 50 times longer than standard halogens and use only 10% of the energy. And with such a low starting price, a nobrainer for outdoor lighting.

Beacon Lighting: 1300 232 266 or www.beaconlighting.com.au

iLED Flood

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iLED Commercial has released two new LED-based floodlights. The MM-Sdd600 and the MM-FL70WB-360 are rated at 150 Watts and 70 Watts respectively. Both offer 50,000 hours of lamp life and an instant start — no warmup required — which makes them attractive for security applications. The front cover is tough 5mm tempered glass and suitable for high-humidity environments. The floodlights feature pure light colour and no ghosting, making for great wall washes and architectural highlights.

ULA Group: 1300 852476 or www.ula.com.au

a

new

wave begins...

at the shore club

“Music, Sound & Lighting

are the 3 components I focus on first on any shift managing The Shore Club in Manly. Since Lightsounds' amazing fit out, my concerns have been spectacularly reduced. Truly a feast for the senses for any party-going patron AND any hospitality professional with an acute perception of Club Powered by

Michael Raft

Licensee Shore Club Manly

1300 577 911

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projects@lightsounds.com.au

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www.lightsounds.com.au/projects

SURF SOUNDS Sound has played a major part in the Dee Why Hotel’s rock ‘n’ roll heritage. Bands may not frequent the venue anymore, but it hasn’t stopped Saltec installing a quality audio system with Bose and Electro-Voice speakers, a Pioneer DJ system with JBL foldback with easy control over a Crestron network.

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CONTACTS Saltec: (02) 9707 2070 or www.saltec.com.au Bose: 1800 173 371 or www.bose.com.au Crestron: 1800 827 477 or www.crestron.com.au Bosch (EV): (02) 9683 4752 or www.boschsecurity.com.au Jands (JBL): (02) 9582 0909 or www.jands.com.au Nightlife Music: 1900 679 748 or www.nightlife.com.au

ROUGH ‘N’ RAW Dee Why Hotel: 834 Pittwater Road, Dee Why, NSW (02) 9982 1797 or www.deewhyhotel.com.au

The Dee Why Hotel was famous as a beachside rock ‘n’ roll stopover for a lot of classic Australian and touring international rock acts that rolled through town. But recent plans for the surrounding area meant the old Dee Why Hotel had to close up for three years. It paved the way for a new Dee Why Hotel, rebuilt from the ground up, with an interior designed by Jonathan Richards and Nikki Johns from SJB and built by Arcon Constructions, who Jonathan applauded for the quick turnaround and having a genuine eye for hospitality construction.

When you rebuild an institution, it’s not easy to coax the same punters to settle back in again. On top of that, live music in Sydney isn’t drawing the crowds it used to, so getting back into the groove as a dedicated live music venue was unfeasible. But to keep that spirit alive, SJB brought back the old rock ‘n’ roll posters as makeshift wallpaper, and framed photos of the original venue, the owners, and past punters and bands to bring a sense of history to the lounge.

Richards wanted to give the hotel a rougher edge, ensuring that from day one the venue felt alive, authentic, and held a resemblance to the original venue. “The Bayfield family [long-

time owners] are real Northern Beaches locals,” said Richards. “The intent wasn’t to draw a city crowd, but to build a venue locals felt comfortable calling their own.” Services in the ceiling have been left visible, and there is a handmade tactility to everything from the Bolon woven flue covering to the glazed bottle green tiles on the wall. There are no veneers here — it’s all hard-wearing solid timber, solid brass, and terrazzo floors with elements of tribal patterns in the upholstery, inspired by pacific island surf culture. And pride of place is a classic island bar, making it the quintessentially Australian beach pub and the perfect place for locals to gather.

In the midst of construction, Richards wrote a letter to the project team as a reminder of what they had collectively set out to achieve. A couple of lines read, ‘A venue that is a little raw. A place with authenticity and honesty. Nothing fake or cheap — the real thing. A venue that is just right for Sydney — and couldn’t be anywhere else but Dee Why.’ ’nuff said.

CONTACTS SJB: (02) 9380 9911 or www.sjb.com.au Arcon (Builders): (02) 9389 4100 or www.arcon-nsw.com.au Real Flame (Fireplace Flue): (03) 8706 2000 or www.realflame.com.au Bromic (Outdoor Heaters): 1300 276 642 or www.bromicheating.com The Andrews Group (Bolon Vinyl Flue Covering): (03) 9827 1311 or www.theandrewsgroup.com.au Korda Bros (Carpet): (02) 9406 8188 or www.kordabros.com.au Forbo (Mezzanine Linoleum): 1800 224 471 or www.forbo-flooring.com.au Interface Flor (Mezzanine Carpet Tile): 1800 008 101 or www.interfaceflor.com.au Academy Tiles: (02) 9436 3566 or www.academytiles.com.au Terrazzo Australian Marble: (02) 9672 1277 NSW Leather Co: (02) 9319 2900 or www.nswleather.com.au Ke-Zu (Emu Outdoor Chair & Ottoman): (02) 9699 6600 or www.kezu.com.au Tait Furniture (Jil Dining Table): (03) 9416 0909 or www.tait.biz Bindi Furniture: (02) 9773 4042 or www.bindifurniture.com.au Anibou (Gervasoni Chairs): (02) 9319 0655 or www.anibou.com.au

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Mark Tuckey (Rhombus): (02) 9997 4222 or www.marktuckey.com.au Map International (Hee Barstool): (03) 8598 2200 or www.mapinternational.com.au Jardan (Modular Lounge Seating): (03) 9548 8866 or www.jardan.com.au

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CHINESE TAKEOVER IS AWAY New Shanghai: Lower Ground Level, Chatswood Chase, Chatswood NSW (02) 9412 3358

New Shanghai isn’t exactly new, John Chen’s parents built up the New Shanghai brand in Sydney’s Chinatown before expanding to Ashfield and Lemon Grove shopping centre in Chatswood. Now that their son has taken over, with MBA in hand, it’s been an era of aggressive expansion for New Shanghai. The first of the new batch opened in the Chatswood Chase shopping centre. Realising the need to cater to the upmarket Chatswood crowd, beyond the indulgent Shanghai-style food the original restaurants are famous for, Chen set about crafting a Shanghai dining experience.

The interior, designed by Giant Design, is like taking a trip down the longtangs of Shanghai, minus the rickshaw, so you’ll have to tread the cobblestone paving to take in the red flags, traditional Shanghai artworks, bicycles, and wooden front doors lining the ‘streetscape’ (that are more likely to ‘shanghai’ you into a neighbouring Calvin Klein undie store than a traditional Chinese household).

But amongst all the Lonely Planet authentico, Chen hasn’t forgotten the true heroes of New Shanghai’s past — the dumplings. A live dumpling ‘theatre’ allows diners a glimpse of what’s going into those steamed and fried packages. And Chen isn’t done with a single offering, already there’s a Bondi Junction restaurant, a Charlestown restaurant and Singapore and Shanghai restaurants due to open early 2011, all under the New Shanghai banner. From there, the world!

CONTACTS Giant (Design): (02) 9906 6940 or www.giantdesign.com Phoenician Stone (Cobble Stone): (02) 9601 4577 or www.phoenicianstone.com.au Boral Bricks (Blue Slimline Bricks): 13 30 35 or www.boral.com.au Altro Safety Flooring: (03) 9764 5666 or www.asf.com.au Signature Prints (Wallpaper): (02) 8338 8400 or www.signatureprints.com.au Laminex (Joinery Laminate): 132 136 or www.laminex.com.au Living Tiles (Black Wall Tile): (02) 9818 8699 or www.livingtiles.com.au IDC Colourfield (Specialist Paint Finish): 0417 474 948 or www.idccolourfield.com Dulux: 13 23 77 or www.dulux.com.au New Age Veneers (Navlam Sandblasted Sable Oak): (02) 9457 9622 or www.newageveneers.com.au

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CONTACTS Hecker Guthrie: (03) 9421 1644 or www.heckerguthrie.com Amalgamated Marble (Black Slate Slabs): (03) 9338 3370 or www.amalgamatedmarble.com CDK Stone Australia (Elba Marble Stone Slabs): (03) 8552 6000 or www.cdkstone.com.au International Floorcoverings Australia: 1800 339 379 or www.interfloors.com.au Olde English Tiles: (03) 9427 7677 or www.oldeenglishtiles.com.au Signorino Tile Gallery: (03) 9427 9100 or www.signorino.com.au Westbury Textiles: (03) 9529 6211 or www.westburytextiles.com Unique Fabrics: (03) 9816 2000 or www.uniquefabrics.com Dulux: 13 23 77 or www.dulux.com.au Inlite: 1300 465 483 or www.inlite.com.au Jim Lawrence: www.jim-lawrence.co.uk Manufactum: www.manufactum.com Thomas Hoof: www.produktgesellschaft.de Saker (Awning): (03) 9882 0227

Octogenarian Paul Lynch left some big shoes to fill, especially for 21-yearold Davis Yu — the son of property developer David Yu, and once Olympic slalom hopeful. Lynch’s, his South Yarra restaurant on the fringe of the Botanical, was an institution. For 30 years, Lynch dished out varying European fare to a core clientele of South Yarra locals and Melbourne gastronomes. But when Yu took over, he opted to lift the palette from the moody dark purple and brown velvets to a light Scandinavian chic. “In the past it would feel almost choking in here. But it’s next to the Botanical Gardens; it should be fresh and light,” said Yu. He and designer Paul Hecker of Hecker Guthrie were mindful of Lynch’s long past and its rapport in the community. Yu again “we couldn’t just dream up a design that obliterated the old clientele of Lynch’s. You want them to come here and still think this is their restaurant.” So although modernity and lightness were the criteria, The Millswyn has slightly provincial, aged touches that tap back into the building’s heritage — the original timber floorboards exposed, Italian porcelain lights, galvanised pendants, and traditional cabinetry. The spaces themselves have been reutilised. Upstairs has been reopened to the public, but in keeping with the Victorian terrace house style, Yu put back in a couple of walls to create three top deck spaces, including a cocktail bar, private dining room and Scandinavian ‘speakeasy’, if there could ever be such a thing. Yu has assembled a team brimming with global experience, including head chef Nathan Johnson, “not poached”, said Yu, from Maze Grill — the last stop of a long tenure with the Ramsay empire before he replied to Yu’s newspaper ad. Yu said Lynch visited The Millswyn recently and gave Johnson and his classic French flavours the nod of approval.

Looks like South Yarra’s foodies are in safe hands.

LYNCH MOB The Millswyn: 131-133 Domain Road, South Yarra VIC (03) 9866 5627 or www.themillswyn.com.au

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BACCO UP A SECOND TIME Bacco Wine Bar Pasticceria Level 2, QVB Building, 455 George Street, Sydney NSW (02) 9223 9552 or www.bacco.com.au Story: Rhiannon Zanetic

Combining cocktails with cannoli and martinis with macaroons is a little left of centre. But you gotta have a little faith in George Michael — owner of the pastry and alcohol fusing Bacco Wine Bar Pasticceria — it’s not the first time he’s swaddled Italian aperitivo, pastries, food and wine into the one tablecloth. Chifley Plaza already hosts the first Bacco Wine Bar Pasticceria. This Bacco — in Sydney’s QVB Building — is Michael’s second go-round of the all-inclusive Italian dining experience.

Michael wanted the Bacco QVB venue to be similar to Chifley, but utilising a smaller space. The challenge was combining the plonk with the pastry in a way that didn’t feel like you were forced to have both. And somehow Bacco pulls off the intimate wine bar/stop-over pasticceria with aplomb. To help ease the congestion in his popular but small venue, tables out on the QVB floor supplement the limited amount of intimate table seating inside.

Designed collaboratively by Michael and Beraldo Design, the venue inspiration was the fruit of Michael’s travels around Italy. The design is broodingly European: the textures, the pressed-metal ceiling, and the imported Italian grape lights supplied by Di Emme feature on walls surrounded by triple windows, mirroring its counterpart in Chifley Plaza. Michael said: “We want to take customers on a journey back to the authentic Italian Pasticcerias in Italy.

With marbled surfaces, dark wooden floors and imported Italian grape lights, Bacco is a relaxing, authentic Italian experience by day or night.”

CONTACTS Beraldo Designs: (02) 9281 6177 or www.beraldodesign.com.au Nufurn: 1800 650 019 or www.nufurn.com.au Café Culture: (02) 9699 8577 or www.cafeculture.com.au BCI: (03) 9707 4433 or www.bcifurniture.com R & C Custom Cabinets (Joinery): 0425 376 573 or www.rccustomkitchens.com.au Di Emme (Grape Lights): (02) 9550 0811 or www.diemme.com.au Inlite: (02) 9699 3900 or www.inlite.com.au Metz: (02) 9671 1311 or www.metz.net.au Grosvenor Glass: (02) 9758 2400 or www.grosvenorglass.com.au Briggs Veneer: (02) 9732 7888 or www.briggs.com.au

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SHORING UP A SOUND CLUB The Shore Club: 36-38 South Steyne, Manly (02) 9977 6322 or www.shoreclub.com.au

CONTACTS Lightsounds: 1800 552 205 or www.lightsounds.com.au

Weathering the elements had nothing to do with the state of The Shore Club in Manly when owner Alex Said and licensee Michael Raft got to it. The three-year-old venue looked a decade old purely because it was so busy. In under a month the three-level venue went under the knife and has re-emerged a real star, designed by Alex’s wife Dee, with all-new furniture, an imported marble bar and a custom built stage that rolls out to cater to bands. “The ground floor now feels like an open air bar in front of a beach, before it felt like you were on the inside of an empty swimming pool,” said Raft. “The middle floor, which is now our Belvedere One-X sponsored bar, feels like a city nightclub, with probably the best views in Sydney, of any nightclub. And the top floor is sponsored by Moet Chandon — the VIP area of our club. Moet has only one other brand home in Sydney, and that’s Ivy Pool. And we’re all the way out in little ol’ Northern Beaches Manly. To be only the second one, other than a premiere place in the city, says a lot.”

It’s a bit befuddling as to how The Shore Club managed to accumulate more sponsors than a read-a-thon winner until you find out Raft has managed his fair share of NYC clubs, General Manager Brian Reid was one of the original

founders of Home Nightclub, and Guy Roberts was the licensee of the very-popular The Club in Kings Cross.

Because the bar is right opposite Manly Beach, Julian Lacey, project manager for the job, had to put in place special considerations to make sure the sandy and wet weather conditions didn’t erode the equipment. There are 12 One Systems 208CIM weatherproof speakers throughout the venue, a compact speaker that packs a punch and can handle direct flogging from the elements. The Shore Club went straight to the top tier for its DJ equipment, snagging a couple of Pioneer DJM2000 mixers, the latest and greatest available, as well as four Pioneer CDJ2000 CD players.

Lighting is taken care of by four American DJ Triphase LED FX lights and 20 Light Emotion 60-piece RGB LED tape rolls that are also waterproof. The system is controlled by Nicolaudie STICK architectural lighting control software through eight Liteputer LDX305 DMX LED dimmers. “As a manager, the first things I focus on in my shift if music, sound and lighting,” said Raft. “Since Lightsounds’ amazing fitout, my concerns have been spectacularly reduced.

Truly a feast for the senses for any party-going patron and any hospitality professional with an acute perception of club culture.”

Open your business to more hospitality projects.

Hotel Hospitality + Design is Australia’s only dedicated hotel refurbishment and design expo, gathering the best suppliers in furniture, soft furnishings and technology to put you at the forefront of hospitality design. Be inspired by the latest design trends and see new ideas from the industry’s most progressive talent at the Refurbishment Stage and Design Forum.

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Co-located with

Brought to you by

SHORT BUT SWEET Sweet Infinity: The Strand Arcade, Shop 18, Ground Floor 412-414 George St, Sydney NSW (02) 9231 0472 or www.sweetinfinity.com.au 1

CONTACTS GroupGSA: (02) 9361 4144 or www.groupgsa.com Alexandria Tiles & Flooring: (02) 9693 2626 or www.alexandriatiles.com.au Dulux: 13 23 77 or www.dulux.com.au Viridian Glass (Shelving): 1800 810 403 or www.viridianglass.com 1

Living Edge (Established & Sons Tank Light): (02) 8596 8800 or www.livingedge.com.au

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Marie Antionette would have a field day poring over the window display of Sweet Infinity’s new Strand Arcade outlet. It’s the first retail-only outlet for pastry chef and owner Leanne Beck, and the designers GroupGSA had to really ‘bake in’ the Sweet Infinity brand identity. “Our challenge for Sweet Infinity was to establish not only the company’s first retail-only store but also a brand identity that was intrinsic to the business. It was important the cooking process be expressed in the display of the end product; that each cake or quiche was handmade and unique,” said GroupGSA Director Lisa-Maree Carrigan. The feature wall is coloured bright raspberry and covered in chocolate cake tins, giving a nod to the hard baking that goes into the treats while establishing the brand’s colours. The space maintains its late 19th century proportions — tiny, like a snug-fitting corset. But GroupGSA used mirrors to make the space seem deeper, and dissolved the definition between the walls and floors, to turn the 19sqm space into something of an ornate yet endearingly cute treasure trove.

HOW THE WEST WAS WON Colonial Hotel: 156 Victoria Rd, Werrington NSW (02) 9623 1384 or www.vlandisgroup.com.au

CONTACTS Bergstrom Architects: (02) 8920 1499 or www.bergstromarchitects.com.au Real Flame (Fireplace): (03) 8706 2000 or www.realflame.com.au Di Emme Creative Solutions (Stonini Wall Panel): (02) 9550 0811 or www.diemme.com.au Mance (Ghost Story Lighting Feature): (03) 9429 1959 or mance.com.au Tascot (Carpet): (03) 9428 4925 or www.tascot.com.au NSW Leather Co.: (02) 9319 2900 or www.nswleather.com.au Dulux: 13 23 77 or www.dulux.com.au

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The Vlandis Group is rounding up its cattle and re‘branding it’. Last time we checked in, Vlandis had overhauled The Three Swallows in Bankstown (see Issue 29) and now it’s the Colonial Hotel’s turn.

Bergstrom Architects took care of the transformation. Being way out West (of Sydney), and with a name like Colonial Hotel, Bergstrom decided to have a bit of fun with the ‘Western’ theme — we’re talking cowhide panelling, cow head motifs on the window and the steer’s head above the fireplace.

Meanwhile, tumbleweed lighting and brown leather ‘saddle’ seating, a mirror at the back of bar, timber ‘log’ cabin inspired wall treatments, and gunshotinspired metal screens all add to the effect. Yee-hah!

SOUNDS OF THE WEST Lamba Audio Visual took care of the sound and vision, with Head Installer Mark Vesic in charge.

With a sizeable 11 audio zones throughout the hotel, the install required a chunky brain in the form of a Biamp Nexia DSP-based matrix processor. Without live entertainment or DJ booth, the PA needed to cater to background music via ElectroVoice in-ceiling and compact EVid surfacemount speakers. The screens are all LG. Lamba Audio Visual: (02) 9758 8888 or www.lamba.com.au Bosch (Electrovoice): (02) 9683 4752 or boschcomms@au.bosch.com LG: (02) 8805 4409 or b2b@lge.com.au

In truth, the cowboy theme is subtle and tasteful, with the focus on the practicalities of maximising revenues from the bar, bistro, lounge, gaming and bottleshop. Vlandis Group General Manager, Michael Samios, picks up on the story: “The refurb brings the city to the suburbs. When we bought the hotel in the early ’90s it was a country pub on the edge of the city fringe. Now, what with the suburban sprawl, the hotel is in the thick of suburbia and the client base has increased dramatically.

“Most importantly, we wanted a hotel the locals could call their own. We didn’t want a nightclub or a schooner club, it had to be somewhere everyone in the area could feel comfortable in. I think we’ve done that — it’s now a first rate suburban hotel.”

Never Say Die! After four years of battling to get approval for another Melbourne nightclub, it turns out that Neverland isn’t just another club after all. Using all facets of its hexagonal design, and scores of technology to boot, Neverland has positioned itself as one of Melbourne’s premiere events spaces.

Story: Mark Davie Neverland: 32-48 Johnson St, South Melbourne VIC (03) 9646 5544 or www.neverland.net.au

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Feature

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everland almost never happened.

Over the last couple of years — while Victoria police was rolling out its fleet of tricked out Humvees to scare troublemakers off the streets, and 2am lockouts were bandied about to curtail alcohol-fuelled violence — Warren Amster, Manny Sanchez and their partners were trying to get approval for the new 1500-pax South Melbourne nightclub. Bad timing you could say.

Possibly the worst when you factor in then Premier Brumby going on record as being in opposition to it opening.

Sanchez explains: “We had the lease and applied for a town planning permit that took 18 months and various VCAT hearings to get, but we won.

The next stage was to get the license, and that should have been a walk in the park. It was another two years of VCAT hearings and battling. It was very draining because something that should have taken two years took four years to open. It was possibly the worst time to open up a club. We even had the Premier saying he didn’t want us to open!”

OPENING DRAMA It wasn’t the brightest of starts for Neverland. But it hasn’t been an easy run for nightclubs in general. Media beat-up or not, the fact is, Melbourne’s streets look a bloody mess in the TV and papers, and to anyone with a sense of self preservation, the message is to ‘stay away from the clubs’. It’s a sentiment that isn’t held by everyone, but for a club as big as Neverland even a slight swing to the ‘minor parties’ and small bars is palpable.

“In today’s environment, clubs are too difficult to run on a weekly basis. Over the last three or four years all the articles read with a lot of negativity

about going out to nightclubs,” said Sanchez. The sheer size of the space is a big factor too. At the start of the night, Sanchez closes off the extremities of the room with curtains, containing the action to the dance floor. But as the night progresses and more punters filter in, he unveils the remainder of the club. “If you’ve got 800 kids in here — a lot of people in most clubs’ eyes — and open up the whole venue, it looks quiet. But if you keep them in one side it keeps the vibe. That’s why we curtain various areas off.”

RAISING THE CURTAIN Neverland’s 1400sqm size and hexagonal form factor was inherited from a Saab dealership, and Mercedes before that. It’s a concentric design emanating from the dancefloor surrounded by raised bar areas opening onto outdoor beer gardens. There are two glassed off areas that can be used as VIP rooms, or as separate function areas. The tough operating environment for clubs means these rooms are getting plenty of use. The club nights are still drawing crowds, but the venue has embraced the corporate market; with a few good reasons why. “The whole venue is mainly LED based.

There’s not much décor, it’s basically glass and we decorate it with lighting,” said Sanchez. “It’s very high-tech in here at night, and it’s very effective.

When we first built the space we never really considered the corporate side of it, but as we’ve gone on we’ve realised there’s a huge, huge market for it. That’s the beauty of the venue, you could run three or four different events at the one time because it’s so large and has different entrances. It’s very versatile.”

Versatility is the aim of the game with the corporate market. And Neverland is a blank canvas with

colour-changing LEDs. Neverland has already hosted a number of high-profile launches, and their car showroom heritage has paid off with the ability to drive cars in and out of the front door for auto demonstrations.

The three outdoor areas are generous: copious wood decking, water-tanks recommissioned as LED cube structures, and an abundance of foliage visible from indoors. It’s a departure from the basement concrete vista typical of most clubs, and an aspect that sets Neverland apart, according to Sanchez.

“Those who’ve travelled compare this venue to a lot of venues overseas because it’s more outdoor based.

If you stand in here at night you can see all the giant ferns lit up. You don’t get that environment in most nightclubs. Most nightclubs are dark, you’re trying to get through the crowd, smoke everywhere. We’re trying to be slightly different with the internal environment, and it’s working.”

PRO SOUND Flexibility was built into the makeup of Neverland. And the lighting and AV systems play a major role in its chameleon-like adaptations.

The dancefloor stage is more than just a DJ cage.

Although the decks are out most nights, Neverland caters for live acts too, with indie queen Megan Washington and band performing at a recent uni night. With little more than bringing in a couple of mics, the sound system can handle anything thrown at it. Jonathon Sinclair (Systems Designer) and Stavros Hatzipantelis (Projects Manager) of Pro Light & Sound — after careful consultation with Neverland’s owners — collaborated with Paul Polito of Group Technologies to design the audio system.

Pro Light & Sound ended up buying and commissioning a predominantly Nexo system that includes six Geo 12 line array boxes and three S2 subs each side of the stage as well as two PS15 speakers as stage fills, and a further two as booth monitors. A big emphasis was placed on having an even level throughout the venue, so the Geo 12s were angled to disperse the sound accurately around the dancefloor. An additional six Nexo PS10 speakers were installed as delay speakers and stage fills to even out the pockets and maintain the balanced level throughout the venue.

The entire system is driven by two Camco Vortex 6, a QPower 10 and an NX-Amp 4x1 amplifier, with speaker management handled by NX242ES4s and a Drawmer SP2120 for a bit of extra speaker protection, and PowerWise units to provide steady juice to the entire machine. The VIP rooms were also fitted with Nexo PS8 and PS10 speakers as well as Nexo LS400s, LS500s with Techton amplification. The VIP rooms were considerably smaller and their requirements were much simpler to meet. For the three outdoor sections, the club opted for four Quest MS801 speakers providing 240W of power, wall mounted and completely weather proof, driven by a QA-3004 amplifier in each of the three sections. According to Hatzipantelis, Pro Light & Sound couldn’t be happier with their choice of audio system, and are “proud to incorporate it into their already extensive inventory.”

LIGHT WORK Pro Light & Sound also dipped in and helped with the lighting and visuals. Sanchez already had a strong relationship with Pioneer, and commissioned commercial panels to be installed behind the bars and throughout the venue. Neverland director Phil Silverii also struck a deal with Show Technology for the LC Panels behind the stage.

Pro Light & Sound had the job of taking what was already provided, and working out a lighting system that would suit the change between live band, nightclub and presentation modes. To that end, LED strips from the Pro Shop range were used for mood and bar lighting, and Martin DMX splitters were placed on the truss structure, with plenty of extra DMX points around the venue for maximum flexibility.

Pro Light & Sound worked extensively with Paul Nicolou of Show Technology to work out how to integrate the LC panels with the Arkaos video mixing and lighting software, as well as the Pioneer panels. This combined with Martin Entour moving light fixtures, LED Vbars and Studio Due Shark 150 lights provides a comprehensive and impressive lighting system that covers all of Neverland’s bases from nightclub to corporate events.

And Pro Light & Sound hired the main truss lighting to Neverland so it can take advantage of the latest lighting technology advances.

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CONTACTS Pro Light & Sound (AV & Lighting Installers): (03) 9579 2332 or www.prolightandsound.com.au Group Technologies (Audio Suppliers): (03) 9354 9133 or sales@grouptechnologies.com.au Show Technology (Lighting Suppliers): (02) 9748 1122 or www.showtech.com.au Pioneer (Commercial Plasma Panels): 1800 988 268 or www.pioneer.com.au

Making the Cut: Thanks to a flexible layout and AV system, Neverland is an ideal corporate events space.

NEW

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PX-8000 _Unlimited expansion of output area in link with Main System _ RS-422 full duplex communication with remote stations _ 5-stage priority control for audio outputs _ Built-in digital record and playback module _ 2-band HF/LF equalization on each channel _ 8 sets of dry contacts for triggering emergency announcements _ May be connected to the LM-8000 remote stations (up to 8 units) _ 1 paging microphone input channel (with phantom power switch) for local paging RM-8000 Remote Microphone Station _ 8 zones with individual zone and ‘all zone’ selection switches _ Audio output level LED display _ 8 inputs by 8 outputs matrix _ Built-in pre-announce chime _ Monitor speaker level control _ Audio output level control _ The audio program input channels of PX-8000 are shown on the alphanumeric indicator _ LM-8000 provides for local inputs for audio program and MIC PAC-5000 —

PAC-5000 _ Integrated digital PA combination system (all in one system) _ Simultaneous 2 group different broadcasting _ Digital processing & digital amplifier _ CD copy (extend life-time of cd mechanism) Distributed in Australia by: Magna Systems and Engineering, Unit 2, 28 Smith Street, Chatswood, NSW 2067 Australia Tel: (02) 9417 1111 Fax: (02) 9417 2394

PLANE FOOD

CONTACTS Baenziger Coles (Architect): (03) 9696 6899 or www.baenzigercoles.com.au Austmont Catering (Kitchen & Equipment Supplier): (02) 9896 3050 or www.austmont.com.au Tu Projects (Fitout Contractor): (07) 3391 2400 or www.tuprojects.com

Australia’s major international airports are keeping things local.

Story: Mark Davie Photography: Simon Wood

Feature

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DANKS STREET DEPOT CONTACTS 1

ISM Objects (Custom Suspended Light Shades): (03) 9585 3600 or www.ismobjects.com.au Artemide (Wall Lamps): (03) 9349 3310 or www.artemide.com.au Altro Safety Flooring (Vinyl Flooring): (03) 9764 5666 or www.asf.com.au Ital Ceramics (Tiles): (03) 9387 5911 or www.italceramics.com.au

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T

he Potts must love it when a plane is delayed. They may not openly admit it, but on the off chance a plane does get fogged in, or a Rolls Royce engine blows up, it means more stranded passengers will be draining consolatory glasses of bubbly at their Bambini Wine Room spinoff in Sydney Airport’s International Terminal. For most people, the holiday began after customs anyway — when they officially stepped off Australian soil — so what are a few extra dips into the vacation F&B fund?

Bambini Wine Room is just one of a number of food and beverage outlets that have cropped up as part of Sydney Airport’s recent half a billion dollar refurbishment. And a few of those outlets follow what has becomes a global trend — getting local area operators to mirror their successful establishments in the local airport. The other major local operator to take up residence in Sydney’s departure lounges is Jared Ingersoll with Danks Street Depot. Danks Street is ‘land side’, a last local stop before stepping into international airspace.

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TRENDING SOUTHERLY It’s a trend that has also travelled south. Melbourne International Airport has been undergoing a major facelift behind closed doors for years now. The final result will feature an entire new retail wing attached to the airport’s departure concourse — Melbourne Airport’s first purpose-built retail environment in 40 years.

A few big-name locals are getting in on the act. Shannon Bennett is setting up a Café Vue (based on the St Kilda Road version), Frank Camorra is doing a take on his Movida Aqui tapas bar called Bar Pulpo, and the Temperance Hotel on Chapel St will get a spinoff bar too. venue talked with Gilly Gray, Head of Retail and Carparks at Melbourne Airport about the reasoning behind this shift: “It really comes back to our customers,” said Gray. “Our customers are getting much more discerning about what they want. In the past, food and beverage at airports has been handled by thirdparty master concessionaires. We were in that basket as well. And what we looked at is ‘what do our customers think of the food and beverage we’re giving them?’

“We’ve realised we weren’t really meeting all their needs, so we developed a food and beverage strategy to say, ‘where do we want to be and how do we get there, knowing what developments we’ve got coming through the terminal?’

We knew we wanted to develop the character of the space within the airport. We wanted to really get the sense of pride in food and beverage at the airport that there is in the city. And that’s really what led us down the path of looking at what’s great about dining in the city and how we can mould that to fit the airport.”

According to Gray, the breakup of the three million passengers passing through the Melbourne International Terminal each year is thus: 52% are outbound Australians, with the next biggest market being New Zealanders, followed by China in third, then the Poms. After that it gets into markets that contribute less than 10%, including The States and individual markets in South-East Asia. The large number of Australian outbound passengers really gives

credence to the local operator strategy. But, for Gray it’s all about getting the balance right with some more familiar faces: “We’ve also got branded operators because they give comfort to everybody because of their brand. We’ve got Hungry Jack’s, Hudson’s… When we did our focus groups, Hudson’s was always a given. And more and more people understand that they’re an Australian-based company. We’ve also got an Asian offer that caters to the growing number of passengers from China and India.”

SYDNEY SPREAD In Sydney, the spread of venues includes the international brand Itacho Sushi, the sophisticated luxury French-branded Caviar House & Prunier seafood bar, where customers can indulge in caviar, salmon and seafood to go with their holiday bubbly. Trattoria Prego is a new creation for airport F&B operators Select Service Partners (SSP), and Bar Savoia is a marble-clad, independently-run Italianstyle café. Architect Baenziger Coles designed most of the Sydney Airport fitouts, barring of course the branded fast food outlets. Each fitout was different, and the challenge for Sue Coles, principal at Baenziger Coles, was to take what Michael and Angela Potts had established at Bambini Wine Room, and Jared Ingersoll at Danks Street Depot, and recommission them for the airport.

“Bambini (wine room) was an interesting one,” said Coles. “Because currently it’s on Elizabeth Street in this wonderful insular space. Then to go into the airport where it was completely open — we had 14m ceilings and all this space around — we had to try to create that feeling of a wine bar in that space.” To recreate that sense of intimacy, Coles made the banquette backs 1400mm high to ensconce the passenger and incorporated plenty of traditional details. “Not olde-worldy,” said Coles. “But more traditional detail. People come to it and think they’re getting a higher level of service than when you go to something a bit more contemporary.”

AIR OF CONTROL And you do get a higher level of service at Bambini Wine Room. For Michael and Angela Potts, if they were going to put their Bambini name to something it was going to be top notch. “They were looking for a bar, and people that had experience and were known in Sydney,” explained Michael Potts. “We established Bambini about six years ago. And we were forerunners in that wine/small bar thing. We’ve set up restaurants, cafés and bars over the last 20 years in the city. We know the CBD very well.

So there was a bit of a challenge to transplant exactly what we had in Elizabeth Street to quite a contemporary space.”

The Potts have control over design, product, hiring and firing (including the executive chef), but the bulk of the day-to-day running falls to SSP. There are some limitations — the lovely calamari dish available at the Elizabeth Street Bambini doesn’t feature on the airport menu because they’re not allowed a deep fryer.

It’s a small glitch in an otherwise smooth conversion. Other than that, the wine list is kept up to Bambini scratch, and all staff are trained at Bambini Trust in the city. “When they’re up

1

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Space Furniture (Feature Pendant Light): (03) 9426 3000 or www.spacefurniture.com.au

2

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3

BAMBINI WINE ROOM CONTACTS ISM Objects (Custom Floor Lamp): (03) 9585 3600 or www.ismobjects.com.au 2 KLIK Systems (Beam Lights): (02) 9851 3300 or www.kliksystems.com.au 3 Amalgamated Marble (Bar Benchtop): (03) 9338 3370 or www.amalgamatedmarble.com Whitecliffe Imports (Carpet): (03) 9510 0501 or www.whitecliffe.com.au Altro Safety Flooring (Vinyl Flooring): (03) 9764 5666 or www.asf.com.au

top: Caviar House & Prunier Seafood Bar brings a few key ideas to the table bottom: Bambini Wine Room shares common threads with its well-dressed older sibling

Shannon Bennett’s proposed Café Vue shows a healthy outlook for Melbourne Airport dining

40

to standard,” said Michael, “we send them out to the airport, and away they go.” Customers can expect table service just as they would in the city, and the Potts ensure all the waiters have a good working knowledge of wines and how to match them. And if customers want to take a bit of Sydney hospitality with them on board, Bambini provide takeaway containers.

Even though security is still a hot topic for airports, the Potts have found that being on the air side of customs doesn’t impact too heavily on operations, and there are definite upsides.

“I like being on the air side because once you go through customs, you’re a lot more relaxed, you’re not nervous, you can sit down and have a glass of wine without thinking, ‘oh, how long is it going to take to get through customs, how many laptops do we have?’ Definitely, I’d rather be on the air side.”

Overall, the Potts are very happy with their decision to get on board with the airport. “Revenue, turnover, we’re very happy with how it’s gone so far,” said Michael. “It’s exceeded our forecast. We’re busy. It depends on the frequency of the flights. Some days it’s busier than others.” And as to expansion abroad?

“We’re looking at the possibility of Asia. We have a sound and solid partnership with SSP, and we both feel it could go anywhere. We’re definitely looking at future airports, but I can’t tell you too much. We’re very happy.”

DOWN WIND The reincarnation of Justin Ingersoll’s Danks Street Depot was a bit more of a challenge.

Out in the large forum space in the departure terminal, the traffic numbers were higher, and unlike Bambini, which has the use of a nearby kitchen to prepare some menu items, the Depot had to be self-sufficient. Having the kitchen onsite wasn’t a penalty though, with a bit of an opening, it gives the venue the theatrical touch that operators love so much nowadays. For all the benefits of being air side (with plenty of relaxed holiday makers), the sheer numbers game plays out in favour of the land side outfits. “There are three times more people than you get air side because families often come and send their loved ones off. Whereas once you go through customs, it’s just you leaving,” said Coles.

Danks Street Depot seats 131, a considerable number for an individual airport venture, but Coles reckons that Ingersoll, and his affiliation

with the slow food movement bring a quality product that stands out at the airport. “It’s fantastic to go there and get one of his famous Reuben sandwiches and it’s on really nice bread, all organic eggs, so he’s really trying to push his style there and I think it’s great.”

A HEALTHY BET David Yallouz, previously second in command behind Crown’s F&B head Walter Wagner, recently took up a position at Airport Retail Enterprises, which helped Melbourne Airport secure the likes of Bennett and Camorra. His tenure at Crown was the perfect background for dealing with multiple operators of this ilk and the high traffic hospitality of an airport. “Having David’s a plus,” said Gilly Gray. “Because of his experience at Crown he’s used to operating 24/7 and with a broad range of passenger profiles of all ages and nationalities. And because Melbourne is a curfew-free airport — it’s nearly 24/7 — it’s probably got about four peaks during the day and then we’ve got the lulls.”

With the new build, Melbourne Airport is shaping a whole new experience. Shannon Bennett’s Café Vue will open in the first phase.

It’s designed by Ellenberg Fraser — a longtime design collaborator of Bennett’s — and will look out over the Macedon Ranges, have 10m-ceilings, cover 250sqm, with Wagyu beef burgers and lunchboxes to go. The next phase, which will include Bar Pulpo, will be opening in a second stage in the latter part of 2011.

The overall design of the wing was completed

by Collingwood-based architects Architectus, with the Dubai office of DesignInc handling the interior.

“We’ve got 10-foot high ceilings and the food and beverage looking out onto runway views.

We haven’t had that before,” said Gray of the new wing. “That’s what’s really driven the change because it’s allowed the branded operators to come in and really work the space.

In previous times, even with the master concessionaires, they’ve basically just fitted into the space we’ve had, often nooks and crannies.

We had no contract obligations allowing us to start from a greenfield site and draw the interest of leading chefs.”

The new look airports have successfully managed to excite a handful of top chefs about plane food, and with them onboard there’ll be plenty of passengers along for the ride.

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Itacho Sushi: no sushi train here, it is an airport after all.

R

ub them for luck. Paul Bellette certainly must have. If you had a full-sized bull statue standing over the doorway of your soon-to-be-opened restaurant, don’t tell me you wouldn’t follow Wall Street’s lead and rub down there for a bit of fortune and favour. After all, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Steer Bar & Grill. A soft opening for a Wolf Blass wine-tasting event was a hard crowd to tackle straight off the bat, and without gas — which was supposed to be hooked up that morning — even harder. It left chef Stacy Thompson with scores of plates to get up and only electric appliances to do it with — not the preferred method for cooking up his take on Brazilian cuisine. But it went off without a hitch, testament to Thompson, and Bellette and his co-owners’ Alex Moulieris and Robert Webber’s experience. But they’ve got the bull by the horns now, and there’s plenty of gas in the tank.

Steer Bar & Grill is part of the Art Series Olsen Hotel. Though only in an architectural sense as the 120-seat Brazilian steakhouse concept and operations is squarely the domain of Bellette and co. “We’re definitely separate to the hotel,” said Bellette. “The only association is that we want to work in well with them anyway. It’s all been a good experience. The General Manager of the hotel loves that we’re here. She’s just dying to send customers our way.”

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Feature

A LOAD OF BULL Out from beneath the shadow of Olsen, Steer has plenty of ’art.

Story: Mark Davie Photography: Shannon McGrath Steer Bar & Grill: The Olsen Hotel, 637-641 Chapel St, South Yarra VIC (03) 9040 1188 or www.steerbarandgrill.com.au

RAGING BULL One thing is for certain, though, you can’t run a restaurant at an Art Series Hotel without getting a bit artsy fartsy, hence the bull. Moulieris found the artist, Cezary Stulgis, when he visited an art gallery near his Noosa holiday home. The dog sculpture Stulgis had on display looked ‘really mean and dramatic’, and after meeting him, Moulieris asked if he could do a similar thing with a bull. Not one to turn down critical patronage, Stulgis obliged and proceeded to send the bull in instalments, first the steel frame, then the wood built around it. He also painted the 5m mural. That came in pieces too. It’s acrylic on canvas, coated with 10L of resin to give it depth.

“We just wanted something dramatic and we wanted to work in with the theme,” said Bellette.

“Obviously the Olsen had set the precedent, and we didn’t want to replicate what they were doing. Olsen paints a lot of frogs…maybe if we were French. You walk in here and you’ve got the big bull, it’s just dramatic. It gives people something to look at when they have dinner.”

Moulieris, Webber and Bellette have a successful partnership that’s already seen the opening of Café Republic around the corner from Steer.

Steer is a big step up for the trio, a fully-fledged 120-seat restaurant. And they’ve lathered it on.

There’s a bar, monstrous main dining room, chef’s table, private dining area with a wine rack wall divider, and upstairs, a cocktail lounge with its own bar. Then there’s the cast. Stacy Thompson came from Botanical and Auckland’s leading five-star hotel, The Langham. Wine director and Spanish wine afficianado Raúl Moreno Yagüe was head sommelier at Paul Mathis’ S.O.S. restaurant and Vue de Monde, and gained his apprenticeship under Marco Pierre White.

Raul has taken on more of a part-time role at Steer, mentoring the staff and up-and-coming sommeliers in the way of the grape while managing to assemble the most extensive South American wine list in Australia. When he’s not advising

Steer customers on the perfect drop to match their Brazilian feast, he’s apparently out fishing. “He’s doing a Spanish television program part-time,” explained Bellette. “It’s a lifestyle thing. You go out in the boat, catch a fish, eat the fish on the boat and then you have a wine with the fish. He’s the coolest dude. We’re really lucky to have him… in whatever capacity that might be.”

“Go home and everyone’s got the same simple four white walls. Personally, I want to go out somewhere interesting.

Not to some wanky, minimalistic restaurant that has nothing to look at.

Call me old-fashioned.”

WAXING BRAZILIAN Stacy Thompson on the other hand is fully immersed in his role as head chef, steering the restaurant towards his favourite Brazilian cuisine. Thompson spent over a year in Brazil, off the coast on an island, and honed his Brazilian chops. Even when he was in Auckland the Brazilian experience didn’t stop. He had an apprentice who’d just stepped off the plane from Brazil. He couldn’t speak English so Stacy made him a deal: Portuguese for cooking lessons. At staff lunches the two would bounce ideas off each other and play with Brazilian food.

Steer does indulge in the age-old Churrasco (Brazilian barbeque) where a sword of meat is presented to the head of the table, then taken away, carved and brought back on a share platter. But it’s not all just hunks of meat, assures Bellette. “It’s hard not to focus on beef when you’ve got a three and a half metre bull guarding the door. But at the same time even though a lot of our menu is based on beef, we’re really proud of our seafood.”

“It’s a work in progress,” said Thompson. “Salvador was the first place colonised by the Portuguese in Brazil, and I was off the coast of Salvador. So there’s a lot of real, rustic cooking there. But when I go back to Brazil next year I want to go to the south of Brazil — places like Catarina and Florianópolis — with more of a European influence, their breads and their sausage making, and learn how they use their meat products. They have a Feijoada. Basically it’s a bean casserole with a whole heap of meat in it.

You use all your trimmings, your trotters, airdried beef, chicken. We’re using all our trimmings from our aged beef as well, which gives it that extra depth. Normally it’s just beans, water, onion, bay leaf and garlic. Just cook the beans, throw everything into a pot. Whereas the way I’m doing it is using our own chicken stocks, making a spice base to sauté everything in and refining it a bit more. We’re taking it to the next level. Every Brazilian who’s walked in here so far has loved it.”

He’s an ambitious man. “I really want to make dream after dream come true. The next step for me is to achieve two hats over the next three years. Then hopefully in the next 10 years I want to get in the top 100.” Eventually he sees himself moving on to set up a 50-seater fine dining restaurant, but for now he’s extremely happy with how things are going and wouldn’t mind sticking with these restaurateurs. “I definitely would like to stay with these guys, we’ve developed a really good bond. At the beginning of it all Alex and I used to fight heaps, now the place is open and we’re sitting down, it’s actually a really, really good venue. He knows how to make money and he knows how to run businesses. He’s 50 years young and he knows what he’s doing.”

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WHITE WALL TIRES Cezary Stulgis may have set the tone with his dramatic artwork, but it was the job of Mark Davis, director at Dasch Associates to design its context. And as the bull demonstrates, the owners weren’t after a play-it-by-the-numbers kind of fitout. “You know what? Here’s the thing. You come in, look at the bull and go ‘wow!’ You look at the wall and go ‘wow!’ You sit down and your drink comes to the table and go, ‘wow! This is really good wine.’ Then the food comes and it’s ‘wow!’ Why not have a nice-looking restaurant?” asked Bellette. “Go home and everyone’s got the same simple four white walls. Personally, I want to go out somewhere that’s interesting. Not to some wanky, minimalistic restaurant that has nothing to look at. Call me old-fashioned. When you walk in here, no matter if the restaurant’s full or if there’s only a couple of tables, there’s enough stuff going on that you don’t feel like you’re a stick in the mud.”

That’s why they brought Davis in. “He’s got a really great eye for detail,” said Bellette. “Even the resin on the floor. He wanted to replicate the footpath coming into the restaurant, and give the impression that the bull has stampeded through to the front of the restaurant with the way that the colours have changed.” According to Davis the brief was to push the limits of expectation, but had to be warm and dramatically lit.

If you can manage to avoid the raging bull, on the left hand side of Steer is an area a little less formal for those who are time poor or just after a light meal.

White tiles, warm timber and leather lend the space an old-school butcher shop feel with a fusion of 1960s cafe.

Dasch used a lot of steel, timber and stone in the main dining space in that industrial vein. The high ceiling is one of the big assets of the space, helping create one large, ‘grand’ dining room, while banquettes combined with flexible seating for two, four or six and a semi-private area give a touch of intimacy.

Up the broad cantilevered stairs, the mezzanine area houses the cocktail bar, with spinning tub chairs, metal curtains and a back wall inspired by ice sculptures. It’s a light and airy affair that offsets the heat of the Brazilian kitchen.

CONTACTS Dasch Associates: (03) 8648 8703 or www.daschassociates.com Offbite Projects (Builders): 0418 325 058 or joe@offbite.net.au ALA Consulting Engineers: (03) 9690 2299 or www.ala.net.au Light Project (Lighting Design): 1300 473 100 or www.lightproject.com.au Edge Commercial Interiors (Joinery): (03) 9331 7047 or www.edgecommercialinteriors.com.au Sonos King (Audio): (03) 9428 4975 or info@sonosking.com.au Living Edge (Furniture): (03) 9009 3940 or www.livingedge.com.au Dedece (Tom Dixon Lighting): (02) 9360 2722 or www.dedece.com Axolotl Group (Feature Glass): (02) 9666 1207 or info@axolotl-group.com Rock Emporio (Stone Bartops): (03) 8415 0840 or www.rockemporio.com Gibbon Group (Tretford Cord Carpet): (07) 3881 1777 or www.gibbongroup.com.au Alternative Surfaces (Flooring): 1300 760 877 or www.alternativesurfaces.com.au Harper & Sandilands (Oak Flooring): (03) 9826 3611 or flooring@harper-sandilands.com.au Artoz Rugs & Carpets (Feature Rug in Bar Area): (03) 9431 1345 or info@artozrugs.com.au Contemporary Leathers: (02) 9317 0222 or www.contemporaryleathers.com.au Kvadrat (Fabrics): (02) 9212 4277 or australia@kvadratmaharam.com The Corporate Window Film Company (Glazing Film): 0404 065 571 or enquiries@cwfilmco.com.au Baf (Back Wall to Mezzanine Bar): (02) 8081 8855 or info@thebaf.com.au

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KING JORG WHITE Two top chefs come out from underneath the shadow of their previous employers and let the light shine on Jorg.

Story: Mark Davie Main Restaurant Photography: Josh Wayn 46

Feature

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Jorg: 203 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North VIC (03) 9482 3002 or www.jorgrestaurant.com.au

t seems all fine dining chefs want to do nowadays is strip off those pristine white tablecloths and uncover their darker, more ‘casual’ side. And who can blame them? After years of 14-hour days slaving over a hot stove chasing hats like an Oaks Day filly on a windy day, what’s not enticing about relaxing the finer points of dining?

Think: George going back to his provincial roots with Hellenic Republic, or Guy Grossi slipping on a pair of Converse at Merchant. Michael Smith, Bryce Bernhardt and David Cristiano are a bit ahead of the curve with Jorg. It’s their first restaurant as owners, but already they’ve settled into that casual-yet-still-quite-fine dining mode like veterans.

Despite not previously owning their own primo establishments, the trio have been at the forefront of a few notable Melbourne restaurants. Smith was the head chef at Jacques Reymond for five years, Bernhardt was the sous chef at Church Street Enoteca, and Cristiano was the Front of House Manager at Floyd in Ivanhoe. For them, and especially Smith, the decision to own and operate Jorg was about flinging off the white tablecloth so they could create their own dishes and not have the ghost of their former employers hanging over them. “It’s been a lot more difficult for Michael because he was under really tight constraints working the last five years for Jacques Reymond,” said Bernhardt of his partner. “It was Jacques’ food, his way. I had a bit more freedom at Church Street Enoteca. The head chef was Ron O’Bryan but he was quite happy for us to play around with things and put our own dishes on. This has been a big change for Michael because he’s had to go from running the ship for someone else with exacting standards to now having his own exacting standards and being creative.”

Smith and Bernhardt’s creativity is in some part due to the constraints they put on themselves to keep things simple.

“We reprint the menus in-house so we can change things

daily depending on what the guys at the fish and vegetable markets tell us is cheap when they ring up,” said Bernhardt.

“It looks simple and tastes good, which doesn’t seem very complicated, though on our side it is. You get three or four definite flavours as opposed to a whole plate of tiny bits and textures, which has been done for so long. We’d had enough of it.”

KEEPING UPTOWN PRICES DOWN Jorg is pronounced ‘George’. Another ‘creative touch’ tipped off by the cutely fiddled ‘King Jorg Whiting’ on the menu, if you hadn’t already twigged to the restaurant’s St Georges Road location in Melbourne’s north, a location that adjusted the trio’s approach and their wine list. “Our customer demographic is completely different to what we thought it was going to be,” said Bernhardt. “We thought it would be the young professional and it turns out we’ve got the mature professional, heading into retirement. After the first month we scrambled to change the wine list and the menu a little bit to cater for the 45-50-year-old onwards. And now that I think about it, not many people can afford to buy milliondollar townhouses, so if you can afford to live around here you’re obviously well and truly into your career and settled.”

But it hasn’t meant ratcheting the prices up to Reymond heights; the guys keep a close eye on what comes in and what comes out. “We’ve sourced better quality products at cheaper prices just so we can keep the main course price around the $30 mark, which is right for here. We don’t want people to feel like they’ve been robbed when they walk out.”

SCALING GREAT HEIGHTS Jorg was originally intended to be a more manageable proposition than the 6m-high open plan space the boys found.

But it’s already paying off, with the realisation that the four of them (including Dave’s father Vince who handles the

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Jorg is fit for a king... and his entire kingdom

“It was Jacques’ food, his way…he’s had to go from running the ship for someone else with exacting standards to now having his own exacting standards and being creative” administrative side of things), needed to pull a wage from the business. But they’ve resisted the urge to pack every square inch with more seats, opting instead to increase the size of each table to allow for the excess crockery required for a sharing menu. The plates themselves are a brown ceramic topped with earthy glazes, a unique match for the uncovered American Oak timber tables supplied by James Richardson.

Feras Raffoul, of FGR Architects, designed Jorg, and continued the natural theme with bluestone on the walls, leather-covered banquettes, sealed concrete flooring, and plenty of wood. Average-height false ceilings originally obscured the 6m-high space. But taking a gamble, FGR tore them down to reveal plenty of natural light, and a stunning apex supported by perfectly aged wooden beams. Raffoul cleaned up a lot of the natural materials, painted the walls white and installed a number of Jielde Augustin pendants to bring a little intimacy to the potentially cavernous ceilings.

“The thing about this place is it’s got two different tones for day and evening,” said Raffoul. “At night the lighting does a good job of warming up the space. I was always concerned, due to the size of this space, that you’d feel like you’re in a shed. Most places in town don’t have 6m-ceiling heights. The pendants drop the view line down, and you don’t feel lost.”

At the rear of the restaurant is a predominantly white function space. It’s in contrast to the naturally dark materials of the main restaurant, but lends itself to the primary needs of event planning. “With such a big space it allows us to have three separate dining spaces: restaurant up the front, semi-private area on the side and then the function room at the back,” said Bernhardt. “We wanted it to slowly progress from casual to formal towards the back, and Feras has done a good job with the flow. It looks fantastic.”

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CONTACTS FGR Architects: (03) 9687 5650 or www.fgrarchitects.com.au 1 2

James Richardson: (Solid American Oak Timber Table) (White Kuadra Chair) (03) 9428 1621 or www.jamesrichardson.com.au

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Euroluce (Lighting Supplier): (Jielde Augustin Pendant) (03) 9657 9657 or info@euroluce.com.au Stones of Arabia (Bluestone): (03) 9465 7331 or www.stonesofarabia.com.au RMS Natural Stone & Ceramics (Travertine): (03) 9388 2000 or www.rmsmarble.com Roger Seller (Fixtures, Fittings & Mirrors): (03) 9429 8888 or www.rogerseller.com.au Melbourne Refrigeration (Kitchen Fitout): (03) 9794 8627 or www.melbournerefrigeration.com.au

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Arcon would like to congratulate the Bayfields on the Dee Why Hotel and have enjoyed being a part of this unique project.

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KIT & K ABOODLE

“There seems to be a lot of very narrow-mindedness.

We do a lot for our community and we’re happy to do a lot for our community. When people are talking about poker machines, they are talking about just clubs. But there are poker machines in hotels as well and the profit from a hotel goes into the owner’s pocket. Clubs are owned by the members so all the money goes back to the community.” — Ian McMillan, South Sydney Graphic Arts Club “A particular high for us was ANZAC day. It was one of the more successful ANZAC days that we’ve had. It was great to see an increased number of young people at the dawn ceremony. We are now running out of space, which is a good thing.” — Durban Arnold, Dee Why RSL “The high point has been the increase in visitation compared to 2009. The low point has been that the spend per head has been lower than last year, however, the increased numbers have offset this reduction.”

— Lloyd Mills, Caloundra RSL Club

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“We have had an increase in visitations by 10 percent.

The utilisation of the online booking system has increased, and web activity is continuing to drive traffic to our website and venue. We’ve had a couple of big shows, and we spent a quarter of a million dollars on country music this year. I can’t think of any real low points! We had the political forums [before the Federal election] — that was a huge event and a massive requirement on the club. It was an amazing three-day activity for us, insanely busy and complex.” — Ian Lowe, Rooty Hill RSL “Worst: The disruptions caused by the major redevelopment works in the Flinders Street Mall have made things difficult for us with less foot traffic in the Townsville CBD.” — Michael Gilbert, Cowboys Leagues Club “The low has been a downturn in trade, I mean everybody has felt that. Some of the highs have been planning for the renovations that are happening now; planning for the future.” — Geoff McIntosh, Bundaberg RSL “The high is the fact that we’re still trading in the black.

We have a strong membership. Some of the low points have been the legislation that the government keeps foisting on us, the continuing effects of the smoking ban and the focus on gaming revenue in the media. People forget that clubs are here to service the community. Directly by sponsoring charities, and indirectly by subsidising food and drinks, and providing entertainment for a big subsection of people.” — Robert McPake, Clovelly RSL and Airforce Club “2010 marked the ‘Year of the Tiger’, and it sure was.

Tigers opened two fabulous new venues: Tigers Five Dock and Tigers Sydney Markets.” — Nicole Florio, Tigers: Balmain Leagues Club

LOOKING BACK

“It’s all just been high, high, high! It’s been one of the most successful years we’ve had. We gave away three cars, which was great for the members. Our club is unique — touch wood. Things are not easy out there; some clubs are not surviving and will not survive. We are in a unique position.” — Peter Redding, Maroubra Seals Club

“Next year we’ll probably be meeting the challenges of the flood in this area. It’s affected the CBD here in Dubbo and it’s affected the farmers out there on the road. We’ll also be meeting the challenges of the ATM legislation proposed by the government.” — Geoffrey Holland, Dubbo RSL Club Resort “We are looking forward to the expansion of our hotel, it is doubling in size. Also we are looking forward to the renovation of our foyer. We will have buffet breakfasts and the cafés will be busier.” — Chris Passanah, Bankstown Sports Club “In 2010 we doubled our membership from 5000 to 10,000. In 2011 we’re looking forward to expanding the business. On weekends we almost overtrade. So we are looking forward to increasing the size of the venue.”

— Peter Grove, Sydney Rowing Club “Next year we want to grow our catering even more, focussing on developing it further. We’re actually going into our 50th year next year. Again, that will be a thing where we show the community what we’re all about. We’re looking forward to celebrating our 50th year with our community.”

— Ian McMillan, South Sydney Graphic Arts Club

LOOKING FORWARD

“We're looking forward to growing our hosting of the Country Music Awards. And hopefully we can play our part in the state election. We’re also launching a new hospitality brand, concept33. We’re looking forward to seeing how those guys turn it into something unique in the functions market.”

— Ian Lowe, Rooty Hill RSL “We’ve been subject to some pretty heavy demographic changes in the Eastern Suburbs, and it’s been harder to entice people to enjoy our facilities. Next we’re going to try and introduce a few more forms of entertainment.”

— Robert McPake, Clovelly RSL and Airforce Club “This year we closed our flagship site at Rozelle for redevelopment that will result in a brand new Tigers club, shopping precinct and modern apartments.”

— Nicole Florio, Tigers: Balmain Leagues Club “Challenges: To continue to expand the club for the benefit of our members in the midst of a slow economy with regard to discretional spend. Opportunities: To capitalise on a revitalised mall and grow our membership base with the increased foot traffic in the Townsville CBD.” — Michael Gilbert, Cowboys Leagues Club “We’ll be spending over one and a half million dollars. Let’s just hope 2011 is as good as 2010.” — Peter Redding, Maroubra Seals Club

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CLUBS GET DOWN TO BUSINESS

Panthers shows how courting the big-smoke corporates can help serve your community even better.

Story: Nadine Lafleur

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Clubs & RSLs

W

ith around 4000 registered clubs in Australia and just about every second person being a member of a sports club or RSL, the continuing popularity of clubs is undeniable.

The club movement has reached a new era, and a decidedly prettier one at that. Where pokies and bingo nights used to attract the old-established resident, the latest licensing, tax and smoking bans have forced the industry to open up and broaden their range of offerings to activities such as Yoga and Tai Chi classes — activities that also better represent the growing base of female club members, who now outnumber their male peers. It’s a trend that’s also affecting clubs’ choices on interior design, child-friendliness, beverage selection and music.

Evidently, the global financial crisis brought an enormous wave of uncertainty to clubs, especially after just surviving the impact of increased gaming taxes and smoking bans. Numerous clubs have closed within the last couple of years, however, others responded to the challenging times by revamping.

This overhaul is taking place in various forms. Some clubs are expanding and add-

ing to their offerings to appeal to a wider variety of audiences, especially families.

Condominium-style complexes, such as the Rooty Hill RSL, are popping up and many clubs are now equipped with built-in gyms, cinemas, hotels, Skirmish grounds and even power stations.

FROM RUGBY TO RICHES New trends in business events and tourism are starting to open up possibilities for regional clubs. Businesses are looking for alternative destinations to the big cities and unique experiences for their staff. One club making the most of this trend is Penrith Panthers.

The Penrith region has long been a leisure tourism destination due to its location in the foothills of the Blue Mountains. But in recent times the city has become a business hub, away from Sydney’s hustle and bustle.

Penrith Panthers has invested $33m into a refurbishment of the club, which is now home to the Penrith Events Centre. The

centre features state-of-the-art facilities for the growing domestic and international meetings and events industry.

Boasting 11 venues, and an outdoor space that stretches across 80 hectares to surrounding eucalyptus forests, the Penrith Events Centre is fully charged to take on multi-day conferences. And the area’s tourism legacy means there are plenty of stimulating attractions at its doorstep, such as white-water rafting and water skiing.

“Getting staff out of their offices and bringing them together in the countryside, where the air is fresh and the minds have room to play and be creative, is a definite appeal for larger city-based corporations, not only from Sydney but also from other state capitals,” said Lindy Andrews, Head of Sales and Marketing.

The major renovation has transformed the club from a homely rugby league club to a sophisticated corporate hospitality venue, elevating the City of Penrith’s general status as a place to do business. Purpose-built

Penrith Panthers: Mulgoa Road, Penrith NSW (02) 4720 5555 or penrith.panthers.com.au

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meeting rooms with operable walls and built-in screens and projectors provide flexible options for events of any style, while classy interior fittings and furnishings imbue a feel of elegance. “We deliberately wanted to invest into this part of the business. Our strategy is to attract meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions as well as weddings,” said Andrews.

RIGHT STAFF WITH RIGHT STUFF On top of the rejuvenated meeting rooms and décor, the Events Centre has seen major upgrades in other areas such as food and beverage. The natural next step of the renovation was hiring key professionals with business events experience. Formerly the Food and Beverage Manager at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Panthers’ General Manager John McLean has revamped the club’s food philosophy — keeping things fresh, healthy and affordable. McLean and newly-appointed Head Chef Jean Philippe Secondis source the majority of their produce from local suppliers,

not only to guarantee consistent quality and freshness, but also as a way of giving back to the community.

The centre’s clients appreciate the choice on offer for their events. “The catering options for our conference proved to have a good variety to accommodate the mix of attendees, and the quality of the food was outstanding,” said Panthers’ client Carlo Cocco from Woolworths Petrol. The launch of the new menu compendium in early 2011 is another development that will see the centre’s event delegates enjoy a ‘city quality’ dining experience.

Where there’s an opportunity, there’s a risk.

Tapping into new markets, clubs face the challenge of delivering on their promises.

For years they have been good at one thing, which was providing a place for the local community. But now metropolitan corporate companies and interstate visitors are judging the products and services they experience at the club. Which is why the club has recently expanded the team with skilled top-level per-

sonnel, including a qualified operations team that contains Andrews, who has managed global events for almost 20 years. “The Penrith Events Centre is highly specialised both in the wedding and business events sectors, and if you don’t have the key operational and management team, then an empty venue it will be,” said McLean.

TOP NOSH, LOW DOSH Just as the customer is more determined to get higher quality and greater value postcrisis, clubs are primed to deliver on this need. “We conducted a great deal of research when comparing local venues and found that Penrith Panthers was providing the best value for money,” said Cocco.

“We are very fortunate in that we can leverage our food and beverage buying power and resources across all 14 Panthers clubs in NSW. That way, we’re able to provide excellent value for money as well as the standard of service our guests would expect,” added McLean.

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In fact, a considerable number of clubs provide five-star cuisine and service without the price tag of a Hilton or a Westin. And above that, lots of clubs are positioned in favourable locations such as waterside or on hilltops, boasting views over golf courses or national parks. Although the last decade has seen clubs morphing into concert halls, health clubs, Italian-style villages and restaurant precincts, they are still meant to service the community.

Building a satisfied client base, whether it is in the leisure, private function or business events market, will be crucial to clubs. Gone are the days where overflow is shared across venues.

The customer knows exactly what they want and how they want it.

“Managing our clients’ expectations is just as important to us as service delivery. We have event managers working with our clients to provide transparency in the event planning process which helps enormously in maintaining customer satisfaction,” said Andrews.

This important aspect can make or break repeat business. “We are sure to hold many more Woolworths Petrol events at the Penrith Events Centre and have been extremely pleased with their high level of customer service in the past,” confirmed Cocco.

CAN’T BLOW OFF THE BIG SMOKE Penrith Panthers is an example of the club for the next decade — a sophisticated venue with a choice of facilities that attracts a range of clientele — a range that extends beyond the leisure market. In other words, to remain financially viable, many clubs realise they need to provide space and facilities for markets beyond weddings and school formals and become a drawcard for meetings and business events.

CONTACTS Altis Architecture: (02) 9364 9000 or www.altisarchitecture.com Nightlife Music: 1900 679 748 or www.nightlife.com.au

PUTTING THE RUG IN RUGBY Interior design was a big focus in the refurbishment and extension of Penrith Panthers. The concept was to provide contemporary meeting spaces with five-star quality finishes. One such example is the custom-designed rug in the foyer of the club handcrafted by Tappeti.

“It was important to the venue that the reception area immediately gives the impression of sophistication; they want their guests to feel they have walked into an exclusive space, and we provided a custom rug that fulfils this requirement,” said Karinna Gobbo, Managing Director of Tappeti.

“The rug provided is made from 100% New Zealand wool in various textures and was inspired by the colours and motifs of a lush botanical setting. The design elements were drawn in fresh block colours and given further detail through the use of directional and textural carving.”

Tappeti: (02) 9698 2735 or www.tappeti.com.au

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THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Dee Why RSL: 932 Pittwater Road, Dee Why NSW (02) 9454 4000 or www.deewhyrsl.com.au

CONTACTS Bergstrom Architects: (02) 8920 1499 or www.bergstromarchitects.com.au Lump Sculpture Studio: (03) 9489 4766 or www.lump.com.au Brintons Carpets: (03) 5226 3200 or enquiries@brintons.com.au JSB Lighting: (02) 9571 8800 or www.jsblighting.com.au Dedece: (02) 9360 2722 or www.dedece.com Celmec Heatray (Outdoor Heating): (03) 9555 3667 or www.celmec-international.com

Dee Why RSL, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, has had a successful and exciting 2010.

Opened in June, the new alfresco gaming terrace was an exercise in integrating the inside and out with ease. “Part of the design was to try and make it as seamless as possible from outside to inside,” said Executive Manager of Gaming Operations Durban Arnold. “And also as comfortable as possible because it is open to the elements.”

The finished product, from Bergstrom Architects, is constantly in use. The courtyard room is framed by decorative greenery and joins to the indoors with a frameless glass wall and airlock. Elegant light sculptures from Lump stand by one of the sandstone walls. Bergstrom created a timber-panelled ceiling feature, with downlights from JSB lighting on the alfresco side and a dropped-pipe pendant from Dedece on the existing gaming room side, to link the two areas. The existing carpet has been extended as well. Suffice it to say, outdoor gaming at Dee Why doesn’t lessen your chances of having a good time.

“We previously had another alfresco gaming area and the popularity of it was such that we didn’t have enough machines,” said Durban. “We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from customers.” The outdoor areas of the club are of course convenient for people who smoke, but non-smokers have taken a liking to the new area as well. “It’s designed to have airflow through it, making the comfort level outside quite high,” Durban continued. “Some nonsmokers prefer that ‘natural comfort’ outside.”

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CASTLE ON A HILL Castle Hill RSL: 77 Castle St, Castle Hill NSW (02) 8858 4800 or www.castlehillrsl.com.au

When Castle Hill RSL first renovated in 2005, $8m, a new lounge, outdoor area and restaurants later, Director David O’Neill said the club had basically become too successful. “Bar sales and catering sales went from approximately $2m a year to $5m in trade.” He said. “Membership went from 15,500 to 33,000 in 12 months, staff went from 160 to 380 in four months.” Although it was somewhat of a surprise, it was really only the first stage of a 10-year masterplan hatched between the club, designers Altis Architecture and construction managers Paynter Dixon to be able to renovate over multiple stages, all the while increasing the number of members to the club. And it’s worked. The club is booming, and after building more brand new lounges, bars, with a design that reflects the local landscape, as well as creating truly viable and diverse alfresco areas, there’s finally a place for all the local members of any age to enjoy. O’Neill said RSLs should “be representative of what our community is.” But what Altis and Paynter Dixon have achieved is to allow that community to spread out over the venue with specific areas of interest for different groups. And O’Neill said the move has “benefited all aspects of the business. You don't find the facilities that we’re providing outside major metropolitan cities.” As part of Stage 3, a new patisserie and Jin Yan Asian Cuisine restaurant have been built. Rolfe Latimer of Altis said the focus was not to design in a conventional way, but to have it resonate for Castle Hill members. “Jin Yan restaurant demonstrates Castle Hill RSL’s commitment to creating a modern and progressive club for its members and community, an establishment that most major clubs would desire and be proud to have,” said Lindsay Verdon of Paynter Dixon.

CONTACTS Altis Architects (Design): (02) 9364 9000 or www.altisarchitecture.com Paynter Dixon (Construction): (02) 9797 5555 or www.paynterdixon.com.au Haron Robson (AV): (02) 9819 6611 or www.haronrobson.com.au Platinum Heaters: 1300 276 642 or www.platinumheaters.com Herma Technologies: (03) 9480 6233 or www.herma.com.au Vergola: 1800 802 955 or www.vergolansw.com.au Satelight: (03) 9399 5805 or ww.satelight.com.au

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STRONG SUPPORTERS Pittwater RSL Club: 82 Mona Vale Road, Mona Vale NSW (02) 9997 3833 or www.pittwaterrsl.com.au

CONTACTS Paynter Dixon: (02) 9797 5555 or www.paynterdixon.com.au Haron Robson (AV): (02) 9819 6611 or www.haronrobson.com.au Platinum Heaters: 1300 276 642 or www.platinumheaters.com

A big part of club life is sports. Mounties (Issue 38) has gone the whole hog with its M1 Mounties Health & Fitness Centre, with a 25m six-lane pool, and 1000sqm of cardio and training space. It’s all about giving members more reasons to join up, and clubs have realised that sports and gyms are a compelling reason to join — not to mention a great way of bringing the community together. Pittwater RSL demonstrates another great ability of clubs; to recognise a demand for more specific sports and make the investments into it that no one else in the community can. Paynter Dixon Constructions recently installed six new 5-a-side Futsal courts at the Pittwater RSL Club. The all-weather courts are multi-purpose, providing for netball and training for the world game. “Pittwater RSL Club is continuing to promote an active family lifestyle. The club recognised a demand for such a facility and already has over 120 teams registered with a capability for significantly more,” said Paynter Dixon’s Business Development Manager, Robert Clarke.

ID SCANNING DONE PROPERLY!

1300 88 44 79 (within Australia) +618 9336 5733 (outside Australia) www.nightkey.com.au

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GRAFTING SERVICES Grafton District Services Club: 105-107 Mary St, Grafton NSW (02) 6642 2066 or www.gdsc.com.au

Every RSL club needs a great dining room, and the Grafton District Services Club’s has always been well patronised, but Nicholas Associates Architects were recruited to improve its flexibility, intimacy and integration with other areas of the club. It was part of Stage 3 of the club’s extensive revamp, which also added a refurbished kitchen, café, kids' room, sports bar, and alfresco dining terrace.

Food is now served throughout opening hours, not just at lunch and dinner. Aside from the new functionality, the new interiors are most inviting. Nicholas Associates Architects calls the look ‘casual, warm, yet fresh’. The shine of polished timber and variety of lighting is a comfortable match for the custom jacaranda design carpet from Brintons — jacarandas being well-loved in the region.

The new dining rooms have increased capacity and integrate more easily with the other areas of the club, for example, with the bowling green, allowing patrons to utilise both at the same time. And what’s lawn bowls without the ability to grab a drink with ease.

Key to the design project was the incorporation of multi-use ‘zones’, distinguished by different flooring, furniture and ceiling design, and utilising screens to separate one from the other. It provides a little intimacy, adds visual interest and makes it possible to have a variety of settings for patrons whether the club is quiet or very busy.

CONTACTS Nicholas Associates Architects: (02) 9369 3546 or www.nicholasassociates.com.au Tilepower: (02) 9734 9200 or www.tilepower.com James Richardson (Furniture): (02) 9310 7155 or jrsit@jamesrichardson.com.au Furniture New Vogue: (02) 9533 4799 or sales@fnv.com.au Hughes Commercial Furniture: 1800 242 479 or sales@hughescf.com.au Laine (Upholstery Fabrics): (02) 9552 6044 or www.laine.com.au Instyle (Upholstery Fabrics): (02) 9317 0222 or www.instyle.com.au Materialised (Upholstery Fabrics): (02) 8558 3500 or www.materialised.com Brintons (Carpet): (03) 5226 3200 or enquiries@brintons.com.au Ke-zu (Lighting): (02) 9669 1788 or info@kezu.com.au Cosmo Wholesale (Lighting): (02) 9773 1222 or www.cosmowholesale.com.au Eagle Lighting (Lighting): (03) 9344 7444 or www.eaglelighting.com.au Big River Timbers (Timber Decking): (02) 8822 5555 or www.bigrivertimbers.com.au

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THE LUXURY OF CLUBS Canterbury League Club: 26 Bridge Road, Belmore NSW (02) 9704 7777 or www.canterburyleague.com.au

Home to the Bulldogs, the Canterbury League Club isn’t simply about catering to the community with a comfortable meeting place, it’s a luxury escape away from from the city. Altis Architecture wanted to change the perception of a traditional league club from a cut-price gaming venue into a destination. And simply being away from the city doesn’t cut the mustard; it’s about rivalling the five-star, luxurious venues that the CBD has become so well acquainted with. Grand scale and proportions play a major part in the club’s level of escapism, with Altis aiming to create a timeless design in the four restaurants, two coffee shops, health club, full function facilities and showroom. There are even indoor and outdoor water features, the true mark of luxury. In fact, I’d wager it’s hard to find a hotel nowadays with four restaurants under its roof, going to show that clubs like Canterbury understand hospitality, and how to cater for the great mix of patrons, from traditional older ‘bingo’ patrons, families, younger group of girls on a night out, and sports fans — all enjoying the multi-level and multi-dimensional experiences within one venue.

CONTACTS Altis Architecture: (02) 9364 9000 or www.altisarchitecture.com

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Designer Rugs Six finalists were drawn and displayed at Sun Studios for Designer Rugs’ 2010 Evolve Awards.

Designer Rugs Directors, Eli and Yosi Tal, had such a difficult time deciding on a winner, that they awarded the top prize to both Gavin Harris of Futurespace and Lachlan Allen of Group GSA. All six finalist’s designs are available from Designer Rugs.

Designer Rugs: 1300 802 561 or www.designerrugs.com.au

64

commercial edge

Comfy With Somfy

Plumm On

Somfy automated systems give blinds, curtains, roller shutters and awnings the getup-and-go to either let the sun in or keep it at bay. Somfy is a worldwide name, supplying motors and systems to over 50 countries. In Summer, Somfy systems can automatically maximise shade and sun protection to reduce energy costs, and can also be used to control louvres to encourage natural ventilation. Best of all, Somfy system motors are hidden away inside blinds and behind curtains.

Plumm Wine Glasses is a new Australian player on the wine drinking scene, and has released an outdoor range. The range includes White, Red, Sparkling and a versatile all-purpose glass. The best bit; these ‘glasses’ are actually made from durable polycarbonate, making them virtually unbreakable.

Not to mention they’ll float in whatever pool they topple into over Summer.

Somfy: 1800 076 639 or www.somfy.com.au

Mezzanine Fine Wines: 1300 555 821 or www.mezzaninewine.com.au

Vinyl Carpet

Smart Choice

I was always under the impression that vinyl was imitating leather — vinyl couches, black vinyl skin-tight pants. Now Forbo has turned the chameleon material towards the look and feel of carpet. It’s still the same hard-wearing, easy cleaning, hospitalityfriendly vinyl, but in the guise of carpet. It cuts out the drawbacks of pile crush and dirt absorption, has an R12 slip resistance and acoustic dampening properties of up to 20dB. Flotex comes in sheet or tile format, the advantage to the sheet format being it is waterproof.

Forbo: 1800 224 471 or www.forbo-flooring.com.au

In February 2011, Smartstone will release four new quartz surface collections comprising a palette of 25 colours and patterns. The four collections are: The Paris Collection — rich khaki greens and sophisticated browns; The Toledo Collection — earthy creams and warm beiges; The Santorini Collection — pure, clean whites; and The Milan Collection — a chic black and grey palette. “The pure, clean quality and absolute consistency of our surfaces can’t be found anywhere else; these colours are exclusive to Smartstone,” said Smartstone Executive Chairman Kon Kalpou, the former co-founder of CaesarStone Australia. Smartstone surfaces are at least 95% quartz, extremely durable and non-porous. All surfaces carry a 10-year limited warranty.

Karndean International (Distributor): enquiries@karndean.com.au

Smartstone: 1300 888 607 or www.smartstone.com.au

65

Woven Image iPad App

Mitsubishi Speaks Sign Language

Woven Image has released a commercial textile and vertical finishes application for the iPad. Designers, architects and clients are able to browse the latest Woven Image textiles and EchoPanel ranges, as well as key KnollTextiles collections, with new product updates available as soon as they’re released. Matt Sheargold, Creative Director of design agency Sheargold said, “It gives me quick and simple access to swatches for my colour boards and an export feature so I can share them with my team or the client instantly — it’s a quick, highly flexible and collaborative way of working.” The application is available to download now via iTunes, and is also available in simplified Chinese.

Mitsubishi’s VS-L46XM70U 46-inch LCD display is a commercial panel specifically designed for use in multi-screen display installations, featuring a wide viewing angle of 178 degrees, and a width between adjoining displays of only 7.3mm. Mitsubishi’s Colour Space Control adjusts the colour and brightness of each display automatically so that they are identical to each other. Each display shares data from a built-in brightness sensor with its neighbours so the brightness level at the edges of each display is uniform across the whole display wall. The VS-L46XM70U also has a built-in image processing system that allows multi-input display walls to be built without an external processor, with a total of six source windows able to be shown on each display.

Woven Image: (02) 9913 8668 or www.wovenimage.com.au

Mitsubishi: (02) 9684 7777 or www.mitsubishielectric.com.au

Juliet Supperclub,

New York www.julietsupperclub.com www.bluarch.com

66

You Wish

To get the full story behind Juliet Supperclub, you’ll have to come back another night, then another 999 after that. Celebrity chef Todd English’s middle-eastern restaurant is based around the tales of ‘One Thousand and One Nights’ told by Persian queen Scheherazade to keep her husband on a knife’s edge.

Each night she’d tell a tale, stopping with a cliffhanger to keep her husband from killing her the next morning. The gruesome context was tempered by her tales full of magic carpets, luminous clouds, gleaming cities, royalty and warm desert nights.

Bluarch wrapped the entire restaurant and bar in a shimmering ‘flying carpet’ of gold-mirrored tiles, with a mirrored middle-eastern pattern laser cut into the roof and the booths are lacquered in a lively Mediterranean blue. It’s glitzy glamour with a thousand mirrors telling a thousand tales of New York starlets, themselves trying not to get cut.