BUSINESS PROFILE: RAFFAELE AND JOYCE CAPUTO
19th Hole Bistro - A Family Affair By Liz Clark
Raffaele and Joyce Caputo, and their three daughters, have enjoyed getting away from Melbourne for holidays at Point Roadknight for 40 years or so, and have come to love the area, the people and the lifestyle. They have been involved in the catering industry for many years in Melbourne, Sydney and South Australia, and have a wealth of experience particularly in event catering.
the new look and feel of the restaurant, and so ‘19th Hole Bistro’ was born, to offer a family bistro to the public, with catering to feature good, attractive food, somewhere in-between restaurant style and pub meals.
In June 2019, they approached the Anglesea Golf Club with a proposal to take over the management of the restaurant. It was exciting to have the opportunity provide a new look and feel to accompany the refurbishments in the golf club house.
Frederick Carcedo was employed as head chef, some existing staff members agreed to join the team, and others were recruited, including the restaurant manager, Sarelle Kemp, a kitchen team, and their daughter Gina. They were off to a great start.
A lease agreement was signed, with the expectation that they would provide staff and food for the restaurant, and work with the club on future promotions and events. This was an exciting step for them as a family, as they moved to permanent residency in Anglesea, and had the chance to put their unique stamp on a dining venue already well loved by residents and visitors.
The summer season was extremely successful for the restaurant, meals poured through the kitchen, there was great support for the brighter looking restaurant, the professional and friendly staff and the wide range of food offered.
A name change was in order to go with
Raffaele reported what he called a ‘bumper season’. Theme nights, like the always popular roast night, returned to the restaurant and were well received by the public. It was a wonderful start.
Dining out with a view of the golf course.
It’s normal to expect things to slow down in a tourist town as March and April and winter approach, but no-one was prepared for the COVID-19 virus and the changes required for businesses, restaurant and food outlets. Shut-down meant just that, and staff had to work out ways to both look after the members and local customers, and provide for their needs, as well as to keep themselves employed. Like many, they made the move to take-home food. A new menu was worked out, and life changed in the kitchen. Raffaele cannot speak highly enough of his loyal, hardworking staff who have supported these changes so well despite ongoing difficulties with restrictions, changing rules, and having to adapt to new roles. Kitchen staff became delivery people too, and everyone pitched in to fill roles as required. It has been difficult to keep everyone motivated, particularly with the excitement of re-opening being taken away so quickly, with another lockdown. Service with a smile has continued though, under difficult circumstances. As a customer, the writer of this report
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