Australian Hotelier September 2017

Hotelier AUSTRALIAN

AUSTRALIA’S NATIONAL HOTEL INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

vol. 34 no. 8 - SEPTEMBER 2017

IN THIS ISSUE: HR AND SUPER | AGE REVIEW | UTILITIES

RETAILER & PUBLICAN OPPORTUNITY 3.5% ABV 3.5% ABV

INCREASE ENGAGEMENT

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THE BEER

No additives

3.5% ABV

3.5% ABV 3.5% ABV ABV 3.5% 3.5% ABV

Preservative Free Low bitterness (8 IBU)

No additives No additives

No Noadditives additives No additives No additives Preservative Free Preservative Free

TH THE

30% Less Carbs than Regular Full/ 30% Less Carbs 30% Less Carbs 30% Less Carbs 30% Less Carbs Mid Strength Beers than Regular Full/ 30% Less Carbs 30% Less Carbs than Regular Full/ than Regular Full/ Low bitterness (8 IBU) than Regular Full/ Low bitterness bitterness (8 IBU) IBU) No additives Low (8 Mid Strength Beers Mid Strength Beers than Regular Full/ than Regular Full/ Mid Strength Beers Low bitterness (8 IBU) Midadditives Strength Beers No Low bitterness (8 IBU) Mid Strength Mid Beers Strength Beers 99.9% Sugar Free Less Carbs 99.9% Sugar Free30% 99.9% Sugar Free Preservative Free Free(on average) than Regular Full/ Preservative 99.9% Sugar Free Sugar Free 99.9% (on average) Preservative Free (on average) 30% Less Carbs Mid Strength Beers (on average) 99.9% Sugar Free 99.9% Sugar Free (on average) Preservative Free than Regular Full/ Preservative Free (on average) (on average) Mid Strength Beers No additives additives No

No additives

99.9% Sugar Free (on average)

THE LEGEND 99.9% Sugar Free

No additives

No additives 30% Less Carbs Carbs 30% Less

than Regular Regular Full/ Full/ than Mid Strength Strength Beers Mid Beers 30% Less Carbs

(on average)

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2016 RAINMAKER EXCELLENCE AWARDS

CONTENTS | ED’S NOTE

Editor’s Note

Vanessa Cavasinni

P

ublicans are, by nature, good people. You are certainly running businesses to make a profit, but helping those less fortunate is a big part of what many publicans do for their communities. From small fundraisers to support a local sports team or battling family, to large charity lunches that raise massive amounts of money for a good cause, publicans and their venues are always happy to do their bit to help members of the community around them. In the last month, we’ve seen some of Sydney’s established pub families raise big sums for their favoured charities – namely the Waughs, Shorts and Bayfields. The Colosimo family have also announced the launch of the Momento Foundation, an official platform for the charitable work they have done in their local area for decades (see p 10 for more details). But regardless of how big or small a donation is, in our book publicans are pretty good people for this reason. We raise our glasses to you.

On to the magazine! In this issue, you’ll find plenty of back-of-house coverage. We’ll share the profiles of a few long-term pub employees, and how they’ve been supported by their groups on page 16. We take look at the issue of rising utility prices in South Australia (p 22), plus there’s a review of this year’s AGE and what stood out at the show on page 12. There’s a few more nuggets in the issue as well, so enjoy!

26 16 Special Features 12

16

Vanessa Cavasinni, Editor P: 02 8586 6201 | E: vcavasinni@intermedia.com.au

22

ED’S PICK

NEXT MONTH

Signature Serves • Preparing For Summer • Hot To Stock

Food and Beverage Media 41 Bridge Road GLEBE NSW Australia 2037 Tel: 02 9660 2113 Fax: 02 9660 4419

AGE Review: The first show back at the ICC Sydney showcases innovation.

HR and Super: How long-term employees worked their way up the ranks.

Utilities: Electricity prices are doing real damage to South Australian pubs.

MANAGING DIRECTOR: Simon Grover PUBLISHER: Paul Wootton EDITOR: Vanessa Cavasinni

GROUP ART DIRECTOR – LIQUOR AND HOSPITALITY:

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER:

HEAD OF CIRCULATION:

Jason Wild Tel: 02 8586 6213 • jwild@intermedia.com.au

Chris Blacklock cblacklock@intermedia.com.au

GENERAL MANAGER SALES – LIQUOR & HOSPITALITY GROUP:

PRODUCTION MANAGER:

vcavasinni@intermedia.com.au

Shane T. Williams

22

Contents | September

Cheers,

PUBLISHED BY:

24 24

Pub Snacks: These bites will keep your patrons satisfied.

Regulars 8 26 30

Kea Thorburn kthorburn@intermedia.com.au

Jacqui Cooper jacqui@intermedia.com.au

LIVE!

News: The latest happenings around the country.

Design and Build: The Clayton Hotel – 25 years in the making.

Sports Calendar: We bring you sporting highlights for September.

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Copyright © 2017 - Food and Beverage Media

6 | SEPTEMBER 2017 AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER

Average Total Distribution: 5,523 AMAA/CAB Yearly Audit Period ending 31 March 2017.

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NEWS

AUSTRAC AIDING VENUES IN STOPPING MONEY LAUNDERING

COMMERCIAL DRINKS SESSIONS COVER ONPREMISE BEVERAGES

Commercial Drinks, Australia’s newest event Kirrily Waldhorn dedicated to the on-premise liquor sector, launches in September.

Taking place over four days at the newly built ICC in Sydney, the show is co-located with Fine Food Australia, the country’s leading event for the food industry.

At Commercial Drinks, operators of licensed venues looking to improve and differentiate their drinks list will be able to browse hundreds of quality beer, spirits and wine brands on display.

The Speakeasy Stage, presented by Winterhalter, will provide visitors with a program of free educational sessions addressing a number of pertinent industry topics, all offering insight and solutions designed to directly and immediately benefit business.

Sessions will cover: what it takes to operate a successful bar, what good bar design can do for your business; cocktails that drive revenue; staff training and retention; and maximising the wine spend of your patrons.

A selection of successful Sydney bar operators and industry experts will make up the session panels, including Jared Merlino, managing director of Kittyhawk, Danielle Allen, director of Two Birds Brewery and Seamus Brandt, senior sommelier for Rockpool Bar & Grill.

In one session, beer expert Kirrily Waldhorn will discuss how to curate the perfect beer menu with publican Michael Bain of the Royal Albert Hotel. In another session, Samantha Payne from NOMAD Wine and industry expert David Messum will highlight future drinking trends, including a look at what’s trending internationally, the popularity of prosecco, and the latest fascination with premium mixers.

Commercial Drinks takes place 11-14 September at ICC Sydney in Darling Harbour.

For more information and to register, visit www.commercialdrinks.com.au

FOR MORE INDUSTRY NEWS FOLLOW US ON 8 | SEPTEMBER 2017 AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER

By AUSTRAC, for Australian Hotelier As part of the National Pubs and Clubs Campaign carried out over the past year, AUSTRAC compiled two fact sheets tailored for pubs and clubs. These fact sheets outline some myths and some important facts about money laundering as well as providing some tips to help pubs and clubs protect themselves against money laundering.

Since the release of these fact sheets, we’ve seen a great increase in the reporting volumes of suspicious activities which has helped us guard Australians from criminal activity. Suspicious matter reports submitted by businesses such as pubs and clubs are highly valuable and support AUSTRAC and our law enforcement partners to identify and take action against a range of offences, including drug dealing/trafficking and tax evasion.

During the campaign, AUSTRAC engaged with over 150 pubs and clubs across Australia that included visits to 18 of these. Through the collection and review of all cheque registers, AUSTRAC has been able to better understand their processes and help identify suspicious activities.

AUSTRAC has seen a number of significant outcomes from this campaign that include: • An increase of 37 per cent in the number of pubs and clubs submitting suspicious matter reports since the release of the factsheets.

• Intelligence investigations resulting from the cheque register data collected.

The campaign also identified that pubs and clubs facing high money laundering risks have the below characteristics: • Venues that allow higher denomination currencies to be inserted into machines, and are • Located in higher crime areas.

AUSTRAC is Australia’s financial intelligence agency that identifies threats and criminal abuse and works in partnership with industry and government agencies to protect Australia’s economy.

Should you not have received these fact sheets, you can obtain them at http://www. austrac.gov.au/media/media-releases/new-factsheets-pubs-and-clubs-money-laundering. For further assistance or if you believe you need to enrol, please call the AUSTRAC Contact Centre on 1300 021 037.

CHECK OUT THESHOUT.COM.AU

NEWS

LION LAUNCHES NEW BREWERY AND BEER

A new trademark called Legendary Brewing Co. was launched in mid-August using the combined 150 years of history from the iconic Boag’s, Castlemaine, Tooheys and West End brewing brands.

Lion announced it has established the Legendary Brewing Co. to coincide with the launch of Iron Jack – the first beer under the new brand identity.

“Legendary Brewing Co is a new brand we have created and we are framing it as ‘bottling Australian stories,’” explained Lion brand director, Jack Mesley.

“Iron Jack is the first ‘chapter’ that celebrates great Australian outdoorsmen, positive men who live traditional values well. We also think it taps into some rich Australian cultural tapestry.

“Legendary Brewing Co. is a brand that brings together our collection of traditional breweries of XXXX, Tooheys, West End and James Boag’s – that have come together to tell Australian stories.”

Lion hopes that Legendary Brewing Co. will “encompass stories that are fictional but familiar, taking inspiration from and celebrating Australia and its characters."

IRON JACK Lion has confirmed its biggest investment in new product development this year with the launch of Iron Jack mid-strength Australian lager.

Lion will release Iron Jack simultaneously on Monday 4 September in all states across both onpremise venues and off-premise retailers in three formats – 330ml bottles, 375ml cans and on tap.

“There is a market for contemporary and sessionable mid-strength beer, with really low bitterness and a bit of hop aroma to start with, but finishes really clean,” Mesley noted.

“We know our drinkers are looking for new beers they can relate to and we’ve had some fantastic feedback about Iron Jack. We have

identified that well-being and moderation are going to be the drivers of the category going forward. So for us, this beer is going to be all about targeting the classic beer drinker who is thinking more about moderation than he has before and also to help him to continue to engage with the beer category.

“The target drinker will be in the regional and large population belts in the outer metropolitan areas who head off to the bush regularly or get in their 4WDs on the weekend for a short trip into the bush to live that outdoor lifestyle.

“This is a new product – people are looking for more ways to be able to moderate and they want more brands to meet their mid-strength needs.

We think we are meeting a need by having more offers in the mid-strength space alongside XXXX Gold, Hahn SuperDry 3.5 and Heineken 3,” Mesley said.

In support of his loyal best mate, Iron Jack will give back and will also be partnering with charitable organisations to help working dogs right across the country.

“The use of the man and his dog in the brand imagery signals loyalty and is a short cut to a lot of those softer positive traits of masculinity. To execute this, we are going to partner with working dog charities and dog rescue organisations and little things like branded dog bowls for pubs so the tradie or the farmer that rocks up with the dog in the back of his work ute and is going in for a beer and can leave Blue out the front for a drink of his own,” Mesley told TheShout.

One of the key innovations introduced for Iron Jack is the printing of the latitude and longitude coordinates of over 100 different locations under the bottletops that identify fishing locations, fourwheel drive tracks, camping areas and regional pubs throughout Australia.

The large scale launch of the Legendary

Brewing Co.’s first chapter, Iron Jack, will be supported through a multi-channel advertising campaign, ongoing content and influencer activity, event activations and sponsorship, onand off-premise activity as well as social media and PR. “Rather than using a big TV ad, we are really building this from the trade out by working with our customers first. The on-premise is going to be super important for us and we have also had great customer conversations in retail as well with all of the big banners heavily engaged with launch plans ready to go for launch.”

“In terms of the mid-strength category, XXXX Gold remains for us our number one priority and is still the biggest beer in the country and with The Ashes coming up we have some big plans around the cricket sponsorship and this remains a key priority. But with the launch of Iron Jack, we are seeing consumers increase their repertoire. So while XXXX Gold will remain a foundation product for a lot of the consumers we are talking to, we have also found they are looking for more options to moderate and we believe these products can work together. XXXX Gold lit that fire under the midstrength category and the more choice we can give consumers to meet their wellbeing needs, the better for customers and the better for everyone.”

AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER SEPTEMBER 2017 | 9

NEWS

FIVE MINUTES WITH… MARCELLO COLOSIMO RECENTLY, MARCELLO COLOSIMO ANNOUNCED THE LAUNCH OF MOMENTO HOSPITALITY, THE OFFICIAL GROUP IDENTITY FOR THE COMPANY’S VENUES BASED IN THE NORTHWEST REGION OF SYDNEY. COLOSIMO SPOKE TO AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER ABOUT THE NEW BRAND, AND WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE GROUP.

the next month. We’ve been working on that for over a year. Initially we’ll start off with your basic RSA, RCG, Certificate III in commercial cookery, and then we’ll grow into courses on all aspects of hospitality including leadership training.

We want to be seen as the company that you’d want to come and work for in this area if you’d like to join hospitality, and the Institute will have qualifications and hopefully a level of training so that people can get a job anywhere. If they’d love to stay with us, we’d love to have them. When you think about young kids moving into hospitality, you want both themselves and their parents to feel comfortable knowing that we’re going to help them make them into better businesspeople.

YOU HAVE ALSO SET UP THE MOMENTO FOUNDATION, WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT TO YOU?

WHY LAUNCH MOMENTO HOSPITALITY NOW? We didn’t have a group identity before, so we wanted to establish an identity for both our employed community and also externally. We’re based in north-west Sydney and we wanted the community to understand who we are and what we stand for, not just the individual hotels. And we’ve currently got plans in process for three new hotels. One we’ve just received approval for at Macquarie Park, The Governor. And with six hotels coming up by the end of next year, having a brand identity is important moving forward.

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE NAME MOMENTO? I suppose Momento comes from a few different sources. Our tag line for our company is ‘Creating memories’, so the idea is that both customers and staff think about their fond memories of situations, whether it’s going for a drink, meeting people, having business meetings, they think about our venues. It also speaks to our heritage, our Italian background.

WHY IS THE NORTHWEST SO SPECIAL TO YOU? We’re pretty much born and bred here. My father started a bottleshop here 45-odd years ago. I’ve got five brothers and the six of us were all born here, went to school locally. So far there’s 15

grandkids and they all live and go to school here, so we have a big vested interest in the social fabric of the northwest.

HOW DO THE THREE VENUES CATER TO DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS WITHIN THE AREA? They’re all quite different. The Australian Brewery is obviously dedicated to craft beer and food. It’s very family focused. You have Bella Vista Hotel which is in the Norwest Business Park catering to over-25s, business corporates, people who want to enjoy a more premium night out or experience. Then Hillside is your more traditional neighbourhood pub.

YOU’RE ALSO LAUNCHING THE HOSPITALITY INSTITUTE – CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT IT? We’re pretty focused on training within our organisation and have been for a long time. There’s many young managers running pubs around Sydney that used to work with us. We decided to formalise that and start a training organisation that will grow. We’re starting off with training our staff internally, being able to give them formal qualifications. And then we’ll be doing external training. We’re just finalising the regulatory process at the moment, and then we’ll start training within

10 | SEPTEMBER 2017 AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER

So as most publicans and hoteliers do, we all give back a lot to the community. This is just a more formal way of doing it. The Foundation again is northwest specific to help either the disadvantaged or good social causes in the area.

At the moment domestic violence is quite a focus for us. Not only will these funds be coming from our family and our employed community, but hopefully it’ll be a bigger process and we’ll undertake fundraising activities to make a significant contribution.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR LATEST PROJECT, THE GOVERNOR. It will probably open mid-2018. We’re starting work at the moment, we just got licensing approval last week. This should open in June next year. It’s two levels so it should be quite a significant hotel.

Upmarket, traditional restaurant and public bar facilities downstairs and then we have a rooftop bar Asian-themed, overlooking the city.

ANYTHING ELSE PLANNED IN THE NEAR FUTURE? We’ve got two other venues in the works. We’ve got a high-end restaurant in the Hills district – we hope it will be the first hatted restaurant in the area.That’ll be combined with a small distillery and cocktail bar. We’re also looking to open a neighbourhood bar based around craft beer and smoked meat. They will be built after The Governor. We have DA approval for one and we’re working on the other, then we’ll undertake the licensing process.

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AGE returned to its spiritual home of ICC Sydney

AGE REVIEW

PUTTING ON A SHOW WITH ITS FIRST SHOW BACK AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE IN DARLING HARBOUR, SYDNEY, THE AUSTRALASIAN GAMING EXPO (AGE) BROKE RECORDS, HAD SEVERAL FIRSTS AND WAS AN INFORMATIVE EVENT.

I

n its 28th year, AGE returned to its spiritual home, the International Convention Centre, after a three-year hiatus as the ICC had a significant renovation. Back in the brand new venue, AGE 2017 was literally bigger and better than ever.

The most exhibition space was utilised this year, with a record 248 exhibitors taking up 9,558 square metres, up 17 per cent on last year. Crowds were also eager to see the return of AGE to the ICC, with a 22 per cent increase in visitors on day one of the expo. In total, over 8000 people visited AGE over the three days of 15-17 August, up 16 per cent on 2016’s attendance.

“The results are a big vote of confidence in the future of the industry” said Ross Ferrar, CEO of the Gaming Technologies Association.

“As well as providing reliable, secure entertainment for millions of Australians, poker machine operations support more than 140,000 irreplaceable jobs and have provided over $50 billion in government revenue over the last 10 years.”

Exhibitors were also pleased to return to the ICC, as Daniel Aspery of Allara Learning stated that the show was of great success for their business.

“The new ICC Sydney was an ideal location and space to interact with the gaming and hospitality industry. Our new online hospitality training and compliance courses proved to be extremely popular with visitors to the expo.”

A new aspect to AGE this year was the addition of several intimate seminars that were offered to attendees for free. The panel talks were held on topics that were varied but pertinent to the industry, including hospitality trends, where gaming is headed, and the future of cash management. A big draw card on day two of the expo was the global gaming CEOs panel, which included the likes of Derik Mooberry of SG Gaming, Steve Sutherland of Konami and Danny Gladstone of Ainsworth Game Technology. In the session, the panel discussed that the next big innovation the industry needed to tackle was the integration of mobile into gaming, and how that mode of gaming would link back to venues.

Innovations in gaming were on display on the show floor, with new EGMs on display from big and small manufacturers alike. A product that many people were talking about was the skills-based gaming offer from Wymac Gaming Solutions – while promoting his own products, Walter Bugno, CEO of Aristocrat, also singled out Wymac’s EGM in the Global gaming CEOs session. Plenty of attendees were happy to test out the machine for themselves, and see how they fared.

There were many new games for operators to check out, with all of the gaming displays surrounded by masses of people at all times.

Sandra Renwick, marketing manager for SG Gaming ANZ was particularly pleased with the expo this year.

12 | SEPTEMBER 2017 AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER

(l-r) Ross Ferrar, Allen Edwards and Paul Newson Over 8000 people attended AGE 2017

Pink Panther burst onto our gaming screens 10 years ago. Since then, the world’s coolest cat has proven to be one of our most successful and enduring game brands in Australia having sold over 5,000 new games across the e-Star and Equinox cabinets in 2010 with the sequel Pink Panther Returns.

Now we welcome back Pink Panther in 2017 with an exciting new game series.

Meticulously crafted to deliver an exciting and entertaining gaming experience that incorporates contemporary game trends with the latest generation technology. Pink Panther will be available with four brilliant new titles – Kalahari King, Mega Mariachi, Many Fortunes and Big Ned Kelly.

THE PINK PANTHER TM & © 1964-2017 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.

www.sggaming.com/australia Head Office and Showroom 4 Newington Road Silverwater NSW 2128 Phone: 02 8707 6300

Queensland Office 10/3986 Pacific Highway Loganholme QLD 4129 Phone: 07 3458 9180

AGE REVIEW

OFF TO VEGAS

SG Gaming's Pink Panther game proved popular

“VISITOR NUMBERS WERE UP, ALL THE EXHIBITORS HAD PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO THEIR STANDS – THERE WAS A REAL BUZZ ABOUT THIS SHOW.” SANDRA RENWICK, SG GAMING ANZ “It was a welcomed return to Darling Harbour for this year’s AGE and it certainly lived up to expectations. Visitor numbers were up, all the exhibitors had put a lot of effort into their stands, there was a real buzz about this show – particularly among our sales team. Our key products were very well received and I walked out of the show on Thursday feeling really proud of what we’d achieved as an organisation. We’ve already had our first meeting on what we’ll do next year!”

For operators, there were plenty of product and ideas to discover at AGE. Lee Cook, group gaming operations manager for Matthews Hotels in South Australia has found each year of AGE to be inspiring.

“It’s also good to be put into an environment where you’re surrounded by likeminded people. I always come back rejuvenated and excited to do my role, and I get to see lots of products, not just gaming, where I can come back with ideas to try to implement.”

Cook also mentioned that this year’s show was a different experience for him, as the gaming regulatory environment in South Australia is changing.

“We’re quite a small market over here, and a lot of our machines are still coin-driven, but that’s changing soon. So traditionally going to Sydney

14 | SEPTEMBER 2017 AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER

has always been an opportunity to see potentially what could be coming to South Australia. But with all the new changes in the legislation and our site controllers which poll and monitor the machines, we’re going to be open to a lot of new product and that’s very exciting for the industry here. More importantly it’s exciting for the people we’re trying to keep happy which are our punters and customers. So going over this time was even more thrilling because a lot of the product we saw is actually going to come to us.”

With a broad spectrum of hospitality suppliers displaying their wares, attendees were able to really see or try for themselves how these products could be beneficial to their businesses. Riva Ice Cream served 4,000 tubs to attendees, with CEO Jeff Kantor stating that they had “a particularly good showing from the hotel groups”. Over at the Commercial Kitchen Company display, over 4000 slices of pizza were consumed, leading to equipment sales and distribution deals as far as Tasmania and New Zealand. The winner of the year’s Best Stand award was Big Screen Video, which took full advantage of the the ICC’s vast ceiling space to wow visitors with the size and scope of their screens.

All in all, it was a great turnout from both suppliers and operators which showed the robust and innovative nature of the gaming industry.

On each day of AGE, one lucky attendee won a trip for two to Las Vegas to attend the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in October. The three winners this year were all from the pub industry, spread out across Australia.

The first winner of the Las Vegas trip was Lee Cook, group gaming operations of Matthews Hotels in South Australia.

Cook was in shock when he got the very secretive call to the help desk, thinking that perhaps he had lost something, and was blown away with the news that he’d be heading off to the US. “It was fantastic. I’ve never been before so I’m excited. I’m really excited to see how they do things there and walk away with some fresh ideas that I can bring back to Australia and implement for us as a business.

Even if it is on the other side of the world, I can learn something.”

The Day Two winner was Stephanie Grace, licensee of Pippi’s at the Point, in Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, who is wrapping her head around the win.

“It was all very exciting and a bit surreal. Even trying to get organised now for a trip that leaves in six weeks seems crazy.

“I’m looking forward to coming home with fresh ideas and knowledge that I can use and introduce to the hotel. I was lucky enough to have visited Vegas with the AHA study tour earlier this year and we were lucky to have a behindthe-scenes tour of the MGM gaming areas. I learnt so much from a place that really knows everything about a successful gaming environment.”

The last winner of the Las Vegas trip was Michael O’Shea, owner-operator of O’Shea’s Royal Hotel in Goodiwindi, Queensland.

Stephanie Grace, licensee of Pippi’s at the Point

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HR AND SUPER

A PEOPLE BUSINESS A PUB’S STAFF CAN MAKE OR BREAK A BUSINESS, WITH THEIR COMMITMENT AND PERFORMANCE TO SERVICE AND HOSPITALITY. WE CHAT TO A FEW MEMBERS OF DIFFERENT PUB TEAMS WHO HAVE BEEN WITH A GROUP LONG-TERM, OR WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY BEEN PROMOTED TO POSITIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY.

PATRICK WALSHE Current position: Licensee, Hunters Hill Hotel.

Group: Gallagher Hotels.

Initial Role: Group Marketing Manager in August 2015.

Background: In 2011 I moved to Australia for what was meant to be a one-year working holiday. Like many, I fell in love with Australia and decided to settle here. Before Gallaghers, I worked as a DJ and then transitioned to marketing manager for the Eastern Hotel Group. After working there, I purchased a café in Elizabeth Bay and operated that business for a couple of years. Although I enjoyed my time as a café owner, I missed the buzz of the Sydney hotel scene so in 2015 I put the café on the market and started working again in the pub scene – this time in marketing for the Gallagher’s Hotel Group.

It was always my aspiration to work for Gallagher Hotels. I actually approached Patrick and Angela in 2013 to see if there was a position available within the company. At the time they had just hired someone but did say they would keep my details. Fast forward 18 months later, Patrick contacted me and as they say the rest is history.

Training at Gallagher Hotels: Trained by the business in the “Gallagher way”, marketing webinars, business development coaching and, in terms of upskilling, learning quickly to work with 14 diverse venues. I’m lucky in that I have had time to prepare as much as possible for the licensee role.

Aside from the mandatory requirements (TAB/AML, RCG, RSA etc) I’ve been working with one of Gallagher’s most experienced licensees daily to learn the ins and outs of running a hotel. We work as a team in the group and all the other licensees and management are only a phone call away.

Career aspirations: It’s no secret that I want to be an owner myself one day, ideally in partnership with Gallagher Hotels. This is part of a personal fiveyear goal for me.

Management support: I’m fortunate enough to work closely with Patrick and Angela on a daily basis, who both have an ‘open door’ policy and make a point of giving their staff the tools they need to succeed.

In terms of the broader management team the Group Executive Chef Ronny Ghantous and Group Operations Ian Corke have been instrumental in supporting me so far. Their experience and knowledge of the industry is second to none.

Thoughts on Gallagher Hotels?

What stands out for me are the people and the culture. Even though it’s a large company it still feels like a tight family unit – similar to what I’m used to back in Ireland. This also filters into the pubs and the way we operate. The culture supports the hardworking and ambitious and rewards you for it. No matter what your background. Patrick and Angela pride themselves on hiring on personality and give everyone a chance – even me!

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Paddy Walshe

PATRICK GALLAGHER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, ON PATRICK WALSHE Performance: Paddy is one of those guys who gets ahead of the curve, always has a balanced perspective and nails almost everything that he does.

He’s very reliable and always goes above and beyond. He loves front of house and loves being involved with the public. He really gets a kick out of being in the venues and seeing how things work.

Fit for the role: Paddy, like many of his compatriots understands hospitality at the core and it simply comes naturally to him. Further to that he takes pride in his work and understands how important it is that things function correctly. He seeks feedback from those he is trying to serve and deals with criticism of others, but most of all has an ability to self-analyse. Aside from all that he is a man of integrity.

How do you nurture employees that you want to stay with the business long-term?

We try to give them a career path and a future. We’re always available for help and we proactively assist them in the execution of their jobs. We try to make work fun and try to give them what they want. In some circumstances employees have been given the opportunity to become partners and it’s not unheard of to give someone a Porsche, although I’m not expecting that one to be repeated any day soon!

HR AND SUPER HUSSEIN DERGHAM

NATASHA BRENNAN

Current position: Venue manager, Zagames Berwick.

Initial role: Kitchen hand at Zagames Boronia in May 2006.

Background: I came to Australia in 2006, from Lebanon on a spouse visa. I worked in management of venues before coming to Australia, but obviously when I came here I had no Australian experience and had to practice my English, so I had to start all over again.

I started in a temp role in the kitchen, but then got my gaming licence and I started working as a gaming attendant, doing graveyard shifts from 9pm-6am. I was a gaming supervisor there for almost two years and I learned how the process worked. From gaming supervisor I became senior gaming supervisor to gaming manager within two years. I then learned more about the bistro and back of house, and was assistant venue manager within another two years. I then was venue manager at Zagames Boronia for three years, before moving over to Zagames Berwick 18 months ago.

Change in role: Berwick is a bigger hotel, so it’s a different challenge. Also I had to get out of my comfort zone. I’d achieved what I wanted to at Boronia and then the opportunity opened up at Berwick.

Training at Zagames Corporation: I’ve done several Certificates III and IV and diplomas with Zagames in management and hospitality. There’s also many other smaller training courses I’ve done while working here.

Management support: I’ve had support from every single member of the management team. The difference between Zagames and other companies is that they are very involved and look after their people very well. It’s more like a family than our bosses. They know my family, I know their families.

Current role: Operations Manager – Community Cornerstone Venues, Solotel.

Initial role: Assistant Manager, Royal Sovereign Hotel (now Darlo Bar) in June 1997.

Background: I was always in hospitality – as soon as I turned 18 I was working behind a bar! My place of employment prior to Solotel was at the Pumphouse Tavern in Darling Harbour.

Career progression: I worked at Darlo Bar, Green Park Hotel, Paddington Inn and The Sheaf as an Assistant Manager. I then almost did a full circle going back to the Darlo Bar, this time in my first position as a licensee/general manager, which rolled on to Green Park Hotel, The Natasha Brennan Sheaf and The Clock Hotel, Surry Hills as GM. Promotion: Back in 2012 I was invited to join head office as the HR Manager. Many GMs aspire to get into head office and to be invited was an honour – an incredible privilege that I accepted immediately. I was in HR for approximately three years and although I enjoyed the role and developed valuable skills which I still use today, I missed running venues and felt my years as a GM could be better shared as an operations manager, which I have been now for three years.

Training: Training is consistent and thorough within all roles at Solotel. I have been put through dozens of training sessions and courses every year and thanks to our amazing HR team, presently going through my favourite thus far which is our Leadership Program.

Thoughts on Solotel: I’m supported by the management team every single day. I love the people I have the pleasure to work with every day, the challenges and the changes, the amazing experiences we create for our guests, the constant laughter and the feeling of always being supported by the Solomon family.

JANELLE BEARD, OPERATIONS MANAGER, ON HUSSEIN DERGHAM First impressions: Huss was very eager to work but he struggled with the language.

Performance: Huss is very proud and determined to achieve anything he puts his mind to. An amazing individual that is an incredible team player.

Fit for the role: The decision to transfer Huss from Boronia to Berwick was to ensure he was challenged. His achievements in Boronia proved to us he was ready to step up for the next challenge.

How do you nurture employees that you want to stay with the business long-term?

Appreciate, Involve and Praise are some of our key ingredients to ensure our managers are challenged.

Hussein Dergham

BEN STEPHENS, GROUP OPERATIONS MANAGER, ON NATASHA BRENNAN First impressions: Ha! To be honest I thought she was a little precious to do the job.

I first met Tash on her first day as an assistant manager at the Royal Sovereign Hotel in Darlinghurst. To be an assistant manager for Solotel in the 90s you needed to get your hands dirty and I just wasn’t sure if she was willing to do that. How wrong my first impression was.

Performance: Tash quickly showed that she had the determination and passion for the industry and over the years made her way from an assistant manager to general manager and then into her current head office role as operations manager. I believe that she has achieved this by displaying the essential hospitality traits – always putting the customer first, understanding her customers and attention to detail. You can tell that she loves the industry and there is no faking that.

Fit for the role: To do well in hospitality you have to be a people person. Tash has the ability to connect to people from all walks of life which allows her to understand all of the businesses that she looks after. I think by coming through the ranks and getting her hands dirty at the coalface, she understands the pressures that the GMs she looks after face. You cannot replicate experience. Tash also has a caring nature – she wants to see people succeed and wants to help them to succeed.

How do you nurture employees that you want to stay with the business long-term?

It’s all about having a strong relationship and ensuring that they are engaged. You shouldn’t have to sell the dream, it should be obvious from your actions that you are living it. Culture isn’t something that you can write in a document, it’s something that you live every day. Employees need to be shown what the bigger picture is within the business – where the business is going and how they fit in. It should be a continual conversation about their future and how they fit into the future of the company.

AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER SEPTEMBER 2017 | 17

HR AND SUPER RICHARD WADDELL

SHAUN SPENCER

Current position: Licensee, Strawberry Hills Hotel.

Initial role: Bartender in December 2003.

Background: I started at the Strawberry Hills Hotel just before Christmas 2003. I had recently just arrived back in Sydney following a two-year break where I worked and travelled around Europe. I have always been involved in the hospitality sector. While in Europe I was working in Dublin in a couple of large city-centre venues including Samsara and O’Dwyers. Before leaving Australia I worked at Cheers Bar on George Street, which was one of the busiest 24-hour bars in the city at the time.

Working in all facets of the Hotel, I naturally progressed to venue manager, after being shift supervisor then operations manager. This was quickly followed by becoming venue manager before moving onto the licensee role.

Career progression: I have always been a great promoter of myself and always pushed myself to the next level. Hard work and putting in the endless hours has always put me on top of the list whenever any promotions came around. If you continually do your best then it will be hard to overlook you when the company is looking to promote from within.

Training: The industry is constantly changing in regards to laws and workplace reforms. I find that it is imperative that every 6-9 months I do a refresher on all facets of running a hotel in the city.

Margaret Hargreaves the owner is extremely experienced with over forty years in the industry and spending time with Margaret every week provides a wealth of knowledge which cannot be learnt anywhere.

Management support: Having periodic catch-ups with management and the family-style environment, there is always support on hand.

Current role: Venue Operations Manager, Garden State Hotel.

Initial role: Venue Manager, Holliava, in December 2011.

Background: In 1999 my parents owned a pub in Launceston called The Crown Hotel, where I managed the bottle shop and the Shaun Spencer main bar on weekends until 2003.

My next few roles kept me in the same area, working between both pubs and nightclubs in management positions. I also spent a year working in hospitality in Queensland during 2007. In 2011 I made the move to Melbourne. I was at Sand Hill Road’s Holliava for 18 months, before moving to the Richmond Club Hotel.

Career progression: After six months as assistant venue manager at Richmond Club Hotel I was asked to become venue manager, which I held for almost two years. It was a great experience with huge crowds heading into the venue over the weekends, which allowed me to get used to a large venue.

I was then asked to move to The Bridge Hotel as venue manager to shape the same business success. Six months later, I applied for the role at Garden State Hotel which would be the company’s biggest venue. In April of 2016 I was offered the position as venue operations manager.

Training: Sand Hill Road is very focused on its training, with opportunities for product training occurring almost daily across the venues. The primary difference to other companies, is its strong focus on training the team in people management, leadership, and customer service. We are constantly learning how to build a strong culture in the venues, and how to engage with our staff and patrons.

Career aspirations: I still have plans for my own venue one day, but I’m very happy with being a part of the Sand Hill Road journey. There is plenty left to achieve here, and it’s a great to be a part of it all.

Thoughts on Sand Hill Road: Sand Hill Road puts its people first. To the business, the staff are the most important element. To the staff, the patrons are the most important part. I never thought I would be in the position I am today at Garden State Hotel, and I’ve experienced nothing but support throughout my time at Sand Hill Road. It’s a company that keeps developing and evolving, with a team of directors that push you to get the best out of yourself. Sand Hill Road is the way hospitality should be, with everyone in the company enjoying their roles.

BLAIR LENNON, GROUP GENERAL MANAGER, ON RICHARD WADDLE First impressions: Just a genuine, down-to-earth, nice guy. A strong family man with solid values in life.

Performance: Richard has really impressed us with his dedication and ability to deliver results for the business. He has been able to manage a great team and build strong relationships within the industry.

Fit for the role: With his nature of being someone who doesn’t get stressed out, takes his work on in a professional manner and understands all aspects of the business, it was an easy decision to give him the role of running Strawberry Hills.

How do you nurture employees that you want to stay with the business long-term?

We have always ensured we look after our staff, treat them properly and create an environment where people enjoy coming to work. We have had many long-term employees in our time and think our formula is very successful in nurturing our employees.

Richard Waddell

18 | SEPTEMBER 2017 AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER

ANDY MULLINS, DIRECTOR, ON SHAUN SPENCER First impressions: From the very first meeting we had with Shaun, there was a clear hunger for knowledge and advancement. He’s one of those guys that just sees an opportunity in every idea. He’s never stood still for a second within Sand Hill Road, and I don’t think he ever will!

Performance: Shaun has played a role in almost every one of our venues over his time at Sand Hill road. The greater the challenge thrown at him, the higher he reaches to meet it. Shaun has always been an amazing operator, but over the past two years he has developed a really high sense of managing the many and diverse personalities that make up a large hospitality venue.

It’s been amazing to watch him become such an empathetic but driven driver of people and outcomes.

Fit for the role: Shaun was our very first Garden State appointment. We just knew he had to be there. He had well-earned the shot, and it’s a decision we know has been critical in making the place a success.

On Shaun’s aspirations to own his own venue: We feel absolutely great about that. Many of our past managers have gone on to their own venues, and it makes us extremely proud to know we have somehow played a small role. We stay in close contact with all of them – they know we are only ever a phone call away if they need us. Shaun is essentially family to us. We will do whatever it takes to get him into that position, we couldn’t be more pumped to walk in those doors!

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HR AND SUPER

SUPER SUPPORT There are many ways to support staff, and ensuring they get the most benefit out of their superannuation is just another way to assist them long-term. Here’s the latest news from two of the industry’s premier surperannuation providers.

KEEPS GETTING BETTER Industry super fund Intrust Super has announced that the premiums on its income protection policy, PayGuard, will fall by 12 per cent from 1 October 2017.

The not-for-profit super fund has won Money magazine’s ‘Best Value Insurance in Super’ award for the last five consecutive years. When premiums for income protection cover are reduced from 1 October, this will further enhance the net benefit outcome for members.

Income protection insurance cover replaces the income lost if someone is unable to work due to injury or sickness. It is an important consideration for anyone who relies on an income. It is especially suitable for selfemployed people, small business owners or professionals whose business relies heavily on their ability to work.

Intrust Super Chief Executive Officer Brendan O’Farrell said reducing insurance premiums would ultimately boost the retirement savings of participating members.

“Many people insure their home or car because they believe it is their greatest asset. However, a person’s greatest asset is their ability to earn an income. This is why having income protection cover is so important,” Mr O’Farrell said.

“We understand the importance of not only protecting our members and their families, but also their super balances. Intrust Super continues to work hard to deliver insurance that meets our members’ needs on a cost, coverage and accessibility basis.

“Our PayGuard income protection premiums, based on the member default 21-day waiting period, will reduce from 0.7% to 0.615% of gross

20 | SEPTEMBER 2017 AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER

income or in dollar terms, $7 per $1,000 of cover to $6.15 per $1,000 of cover. It will continue to cover up to 90 per cent of members’ wages plus an additional 10 per cent of the paid benefit contributed to their super accounts.

“We’re pleased to have been able to achieve this fantastic outcome for members, and this news caps off a great financial year that also saw us deliver returns in the Top Ten of all MySuper Balanced options with a 12.15% return,” concluded O’Farrell.

SUPPORT AND PERFORMANCE Wherever your team goes, it’s important to have a super fund that moves with them. A top performer who puts their needs first with competitive fees, consistent investment performance and comprehensive insurance options.

Hostplus, the industry fund focusing on Australian hospitality, tourism, recreation and sport, is a proven performer over both short and long-terms.

According to leading independent superannuation analysts, Chant West and SuperRatings, the default Balanced Option was the number one investment choice for the 2016-17 financial year with an impressive 13.2 per cent returned to members' accounts.

The default investment choice, favoured by most of the fund’s members, has also delivered market leading returns in the long term with chart-topping results over the last one, three, five and seven years as of 30 June 2017.

Co-founded by the Australian Hotels Association in 1987, Hostplus has grown to be one of the largest super funds in the country. With close to one million members, over 133,000 employers and more than $25 billion in funds under management, the scale and ongoing growth of the fund affords their members high value, competitively priced retirement products to help them get the most out of their working years and all that comes after.

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UTILITIES

Utility costs are eating up most of the profits at Lion Hotel

ON THE UP AND UP THE COST OF UTILITIES IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA IS A LARGE CONCERN FOR BOTH CONSUMERS AND BUSINESS, AND THE PUB INDUSTRY IS NO EXCEPTION.

W

hen utility costs rise, it’s felt by all users, as it’s an essential service for running lives and businesses dayto-day. So when those costs rise exponentially, the impacts are weighty and have consequences other than just higher costs. For the pub industry, dearer utility prices can have dire outcomes.

In South Australia, energy prices have been on the rise, and at incredible intervals for the last few years. Recently, utilities expert Bruce Mountain of energies consultancy firm Carbon and Energy Markets suggested that South Australia has the most expensive electricity prices in the world – pipping the nation of Denmark at the post for an unwanted top spot.

A large part of the problem is the supply chain, with the state relying on an interconnector from Victoria for its electricity supply, after the close of the coal-powered plant at Port Augusta. While South Australia leads the country in terms of renewable energy sources, with wind, solar and geothermal plants, many blame the lack of a proper transition from coal-powered to renewable sources for the extreme hike in electricity rates.

Regardless of debate on renewables versus traditional sources of energy, there’s no question that while everyone in the state is feeling the effects of the rates hike, it is hitting

the pub industry particularly badly.

“The obviously hit industries are hospitality and retail grocers because we rely on airconditioning and refrigeration. You can’t have a pub without air-conditioning, and you can’t have a pub without refrigeration for both beverage storage and food safety,” stated Ian Horne, general manager of AHA SA. In his communications with AHA SA members, Horne has heard of tales of up to 200% increases in utility costs for venues.

“We just had quite a substantial suburban hotel that was paying about $8000 a month [for electricity], under the new contract it’s roughly $18,000 a month. We’ve got country pubs where their bills are going up by nearly 200 per cent. That’s just debilitating because in South Australia business is flat.”

BILLS, BILLS, BILLS The increases in rates are varied throughout the industry, dependent on the term length of contracts and when they were renegotiated.

For Matthews Hotels, which operates 10 pubs divided evenly between Adelaide and regional areas, utilities make up a significant proportion of operating costs, and is only growing. Utilities make up 14 per cent of the group’s total overheads, and are forecast to rise 12 per cent year on year.

At Palmer Hospitality Group, which runs the award-winning Warradale and Highway Hotels, the figures are even more alarming. “[We’ve had] a large increase of 45 per cent in electricity prices over the last three years and next year’s contract is going up another,

22 | SEPTEMBER 2017 AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER

37.5 per cent. These types of increases mean an additional $50,000 in electricity bills per annum increasing to approximately $85,000 next year,” explained Martin Palmer.

“This equates in a loss of earnings for the company as these types on increases cannot be passed on to consumers in the current retail environment, and increases of this magnitude can only be partially absorbed.”

At the Lion Hotel, the recent winner of AHA SA’s Best Overall Hotel of 2017 award, co-owner Tim Gregg says the increases negate profits completely and make it harder to grow and improve your business.

“We’re just not making any profit, all we’re doing is working to keep our power bills paid. And that just takes a whole lot of other options off the table, like investing more in your business, looking after your staff better, marketing your business – those things all get put in the too hard basket, when you’ve got a mandatory increase in a cost that you can’t do much about.”

Palmer agrees, stating that due to the increase in utility rates, the group has had to veto employing extra staff. It’s a decision that was hard to make in the hospitality business, but a necessary one in the current business climate.

At the Seven Stars Hotel, publican Tom Ricketts has yet to have a hefty rise in his electricity bills due to the length of his contract, but is already bracing for impact at the end of the year when it runs out.

“I don’t know what I’ll be paying until it’s time to sign up to the new contract. I’ve heard of bills close to doubling.”

UTILITIES ALTERNATIVES? A REALITY With no let-up in power price hikes in the foreseeable future, many operators have been forced to consider solar power and the significant investment it is at a time when operating costs are spiralling out of control. Horne noted that many country pubs that have the extra land space have been using it to install solar panels.

Ricketts has started looking into solar panel options for the roof of the Seven Star Hotel in Adelaide, and calculating the cost and the ROI on the move.

“Over time it will probably save me money, but you have to consider how much money goes into that, and then how long it takes for them [the solar panels] to pay for themselves.”

Matthews Hotels has already installed solar panels and is looking into the group’s current energy usage through an audit process, with plans to fast track the implementation of the findings of the audit report.

For Mandy Collins, director of Lady Daly Hotel in Adelaide, the rising expenses associated with utilities has resulted in some pretty big decisions being made for the venue.

“It has definitely made us more aware of electrical items in our business, whether paying to replace them, repair them or things like changing lights to LEDs. Although these things are important to the business overall, things like that should be gradual costs over time, not as quickly as possible to keep the costs down in the immediate future. It also played a major part in our decision to remove the pokie machines, which have to be on 24/7 by law.”

Contract lengths and when to pull the trigger are also considerations for operators, requiring a combination of market analysis and guesswork akin to locking in mortgage terms. For Palmer Hospitality Group, suppliers have encouraged locking in 2-3 year terms, but the group has opted for one-year contracts in the hopes that political pressure will amount to some pricing relief soon. Ricketts has engaged a firm that follows and analyses the energy markets to advise him if he should opt for a new contract before his current one is up, in the hopes of securing a better deal.

Other strategies to combat price hikes are as varied as using power management modules to adopting policies where fridges aren’t opened until a certain time of the day. Horne said one entrepreneurial husbandand-wife pub team on the west coast have even set up their own plant that runs on the used cooking oil from their kitchen, that of the fish and chip shop in town and a few other businesses with excess oil.

While that is an extreme example and not realistic for many venues, Horne says the AHA is assisting members in looking at options right for them, “but you’ve simply got to become less reliant on the grid and more self-sufficient. That takes time and that takes capital, because certainly looking at the horizon we’ve seen that South Australia is going to have extraordinary power costs for a number of years.”

Mount Gambier Hotel

Warradale Hotel

WHAT’S NEXT? In the short-term, apart from forking out capex for renewable energy systems, it seems that operators will have to grin and bear the increase in electricity bills. The AHA SA has met with the State Treasurer and Minister for Energy in the last year, along with several other government bureaucrats lobbying for a relief policy.

With a state election coming up in March next year, both Liberal and Labor parties are promising strategies to change the status quo. The current Labor government is promising a $550 million energy plan which includes the construction of the world’s largest lithium ion battery to store power, and to install more generators. Meanwhile, the Liberal party is promising to revert to traditional energy methods, encouraging the construction of another gas-fired power plant.

In the meantime, operators are hoping that the warmer weather will not cause another power overload that resulted in the statewide blackout of 2016, but rather will induce consumers to come out and enjoy the hospitality of their local pubs.

Gregg is not so sure whether stagnant businesses can rely on that hope, stating that the current situation is not tenable.

“If businesses can’t make profit and reinvest in themselves, you start going backwards. The value of your business and assets, the value of your real estate starts going backwards because you’re not making any profit.”

“It’s already having an effect. There’s a lot of hotels for sale in Adelaide.”

“A SUBSTANTIAL SUBURBAN HOTEL WAS PAYING ABOUT $8000 A MONTH – UNDER THE NEW CONTRACT IT’S ROUGHLY $18,000 A MONTH. WE’VE GOT COUNTRY PUBS WHERE THEIR BILLS ARE GOING UP BY NEARLY 200 PER CENT.” IAN HORNE, AHA SA AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER SEPTEMBER 2017 | 23

PUB SNACKS

A bit SNACKS ARE A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF PUB FOOD REVENUE, AND THESE ARE THE LATEST SNACKS THAT PEOPLE ARE LITERALLY REACHING OUT FOR.

PICKLES Description: Any vegetables that have been preserved in brine or vinegar, but mainly dill cucumbers.

Pros: Cheap and easy to make. A quick pickling vinegar solution can make pickles in a flash, or you can take the longer approach and store pickled vegetables for weeks or months. Plus get more use out of the pickles you make by serving them on their own as a snack, on a charcuterie board, or whole with a burger.

Popularity: Pickles have always been a side attraction, but never the main event. Well no more. Thanks to the rise in popularity of both American barbecue and fermented foods, these sweet and sour snacks are now on many menus. At Potts Point Hotel in Sydney, they’ve taken the pickle obsession to another level by battering and deep frying pickle slices (pictured). Delicious!

JERKY/BILTONG Description: Dried lean meat, cured with salt.

Pros: Served cold, no prep required. Sodium and texture enhances the need for a beverage accompaniment. Dave Proctor of Doctor Proctor’s Biltong says the benefits of stocking biltong or jerky in venues are plenty.

“There are high profit margins to be made on biltong, which is an ideal companion sale with any beverage. It’s also a great impulse snack in a drive-thru/bottle shop, plus they have a 12-month shelf life, so you don’t have to worry about wastage.”

Popularity: With more people conscious of their health and what they eat, jerky has become a popular snack as it is a quick and delicious protein hit. Had at the pub with a beer, it’s the new bowl of peanuts for any venue with a more health-conscious crowd.

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PUB SNACKS

POPCORN BITES Description: Not actual popcorn, but rather small pieces of meat or certain vegetables that are coated in a spice rub or light batter and deep fried.

Pros: The possibilities with these popcorn bites are varied. Create your own popcorn chicken with a signature spice rub and make a beer or cocktail suggestion that will complement the flavour. Also easy to adopt for vegetarians, like the cauliflower bites with curry salt (pictured) from Prince Albert Hotel in Adelaide.

Popularity: At once both a comfort food and something new, popcorn bites still remain small enough that cutlery is not required, but provides the comfort that only hot food can bring.

TWISTED SPRING ROLLS Description: New interpretations on the deep-fried dim sum snack, with variations in the filling.

Pros: Every venue is looking for something new and fresh to offer their patrons, while still creating comforting and recognisable pubs snacks. Filling a spring roll with new ingredients fulfils both of those desires, and allows a pub kitchen to get creative.

Popularity: Many pubs are now creating their own versions of spring rolls that are increasingly popular with patrons. From Peking duck to cheeseburger spring rolls, they are some of the most ordered snacks on any menu.

At Macquarie Hotel in western Sydney, an area populated by many people of European backgrounds, a lasagne spring roll (pictured) is served with dry-aged beef lasagne filling, sprinkled with chilli and basil salt, and served with chipotle mayonnaise.

The snack, nicknamed ‘The Liverpool’ is an ode to the area.

DESIGN & BUILD

OPEN OR CLOSED? Clyton Hotel stayed open while the redevelopment slowly progressed over the last two years. If Golotta had to do it again, would he close the venue?

“No, I think the way I did it, as difficult as it was, it was good to continue generating the turnover and the cash flow. It didn’t really affect business as I initially anticipated. I think we were down ten per cent. But funnily enough the TAB and wagering turnover increased and the bar sales increased because we became more efficient.

“I think the customers enjoyed the first signs of what the new venue was going to be about, which was a centralised bar, more efficient utilisation of space and operating longer hours. In effect it actually worked in our favour.”

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DESIGN & BUILD

YEARS IN THE MAKING FRANK GOLOTTA AND HIS FAMILY HAVE A LONG HISTORY WITH THE VENUE NOW KNOWN AS CLAYTON HOTEL.

R

ecently renamed the Clayton Hotel, Frank Golotta’s history with the venue goes back a quarter century. He and his father purchased a small shopping arcade building in the south-east Melbourne suburb of Clayton in 1992, and opened L’Unico Restaurant and Bar. When they opened the business, the father-son pair had the foresight to get a general licence, allowing them to trade in on- and off-premise liquor. The name L’Unico translates to ‘the only one’ in Italian, and it was the only venue in Clayton with a general licence.

The business was basically run as an Italian restaurant and bar for the first five years, before applying for and receiving a gaming licence in 1997.

A gaming room was installed. A year later, the venue was approached by Tabcorp, and a TAB outlet was also adopted by the venue.

“We sort of grew organically from what was a restaurant into a hotel,” says Golotta.

In 2000, the Golottas sold the business, and a few years later the elder Golotta died. In 2008, Frank Golotta bought the business back, with immediate plans to completely overhaul the pub and make it one cohesive venue.

“It was almost three separate businesses under the one roof. The restaurant was separate to the gaming room, and that was separate to the TAB. You could actually be in the TAB and not know that we had a bistro or gaming and vice versa. So when I bought it back in ‘08 the intention was to modernise it and design it properly from the outset.”

FOR ALL AND SUNDRY The first step of the revamp was to change the name of the pub from L’Unico to Clayton Hotel. Golotta reasoned that although L’Unico was personally significant for himself and his family, it didn’t resonate with the Clayton community at large.

“From a marketing point of view, I don’t think a lot of people understood L’Unico. It didn’t quite have that same sort of reach or appeal. It was a difficult decision because of the association of the family with the original name, but I just think moving forward, the whole idea was to give the local Clayton community a pub, their own local hangout,” he explains.

“I think there’s a lot in a name, and I think the Clayton Hotel – it means a lot more. People understand what we’re trying to achieve.”

The rebrand was the first step in attracting a broader demographic to the hotel. As Mark Mellier of TM Design Group, who worked on the renovation explains: “The existing hotel was very much an older school TAB/gaming venue, and it wouldn’t have had much attraction to a younger demographic or anyone that wasn’t interested in a cigarette, a beer and a punt.

So he had a very distinct crowd – not that he wanted to get rid of them, but to provide an option to other people who had interests beyond that.”

And there were certainly other demographics in the area to draw upon. With Monash University campus and medical centre in the suburb, Clayton’s demographics are wildly different than those of other parts of Melbourne. According to the Australian Bureau

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DESIGN & BUILD

of Statistic’s 2016 Census results, the median age of a person in Clayton is 25, as compared to the Victorian and Australian averages of 38 and 37 respectively. There are also more single people in the area with 61 per cent of the town’s population having never been married, as compared to state and national ratios of 35 per cent.

It was imperative that the hotel start to capture the younger market in its vicinity. And to do that, it had to be brought into the 21st century with a complete overhaul.

THE HEART AND HUB It’s been nine years since Golotta re-purchased the pub, but he’s been working on its renovation ever since. First, he applied for permits for another seven machines, which didn’t come through until 2013. Then there was two years of planning and tendering, until works began on the renovations in 2015. With at least two areas of the venue open at all times, the rebuild took two years to complete, with the final stage done in March this year.

Not only did the renovation modernise the pub, but it also took what was a piecemeal venue and transformed it into one comprehensive offering that was more efficient. This was mainly done by centralising the main bar to allow it to service all areas of the ground floor.

Golotta points out that much of the industry has worked with the centralised bar concept, as it has evolved.

“When we set it up in ‘97, the industry was different then. It was almost intentional to have a separate TAB which was almost like an agency, plus a separate restaurant and a separate gaming area – because we were appealing to three different markets back then. But with the cost of wages it was quite inefficient.”

Now, the bar not only takes food orders and make drinks for all sections of the ground floor, it also has the coffee machine set-up and the

TAB cashier, so that during quiet periods that level can effectively be manned by two people.

Once all the spaces were opened up and merged into each other, the rest was about creating an identity for the space. The design team of Marta Chover and Carlos Flores from Studio Equator were brought on to make it a modern space that would appeal to a wide variety of people.

“Frank was really clear from the beginning that he wanted a different type of crowd to come in, from young people to corporates, and he also wanted to keep his current customers. So we brought our upmarket approach to it but it was really industrial in that case,” explains Chover.

The space where this is most apparent is in the bistro and dining area, where soft timbers and a classically neutral colour palette, alongside black powder-coated furniture, were used to create a dateless look. Some gold mesh was added to create the upmarket feel, and purple glass lighting features were used to accentuate the look.

The real standout is the curved wall banquette seating, which was borne out of a mid-construction discovery.

“In the middle of the wall was a large, almost structural downpipe between the ground and the first level, and even the roof framing all radiated out from that point. It was just stuff that no engineer could predict would be framed in that manner, so it was all amended on the go,” states Mellier.

At the bar, the same classic colour palette and material finishes were used, and a mosaic tile pattern was added to the front of the bar, in a nod to a traditional pub aesthetic. Mirrored tiles were also added to the columns, as the area has a low ceiling height.

Renovations to the gaming, TAB and sports bar were kept minimal, with the main transformation being the opening up of these spaces and the

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connections between them. In the sports lounge, a mixture of booth and high table seating was added to make it a more dynamic space.

FORWARD PLANNING The other major renovation to the venue was the addition on the first floor of a function offering. A Malaysian restaurant has a separate tenancy on the first floor, but the rest of the space was underutilised by admin offices. It was transformed into one large function space with an operable wall in the middle and a bar at each end of the room. Therefore it can be used as one large function area, or divided into two smaller event spaces. A satellite kitchen and a dumbwaiter were also included to more easily cater for events on the first floor.

Golotta says he also put a lot of thought into the structure of the first floor so that in the future it would be easy to change or expand on the space.

“It’s structurally engineered so that we can extend the terrace down the track and expand that first level space. It’s quite flexible. If the Malaysian restaurant ever decides to move on or the plans change, we can easily expand that terrace for more space, put a sports bar in there or a steakhouse – there are options.

“A nice roof deck is probably not a bad option down the track. It was all about the forward thinking and working with the architect saying that we may as well plan for the future so that later we don’t have to start from scratch. It’s all in place.”

The Clayton Hotel has been well received since the final stages were completed in March.

Golotta has used the months since then as a soft launch period, working out the kinks of launching a new venue with new processes.

Now though, he’s ready to get the word out and make Clayton Hotel the community hub that has been 25 years in the making.

The Bidwill Hotel.

Paul Kelly Design is proud to present a new premium entertainment venue in Greater Western Sydney.

Let the games begin.

CALENDAR

SPORTS FIXTURES CHECK OUT THESE HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER – THEY’RE SURE TO BRING IN A CROWD TO YOUR VENUE!

FOOTBALL

NFL

The Socceroos versus Thailand match could be the biggest game in Australian football for years. It will depend on the outcome of the previous game against Japan on August 31, but this game could be make or break for FIFA World Cup qualification.

When: Tuesday 5 September, 8pm.

Channel: Fox Sports 4.

NFL is back for a new season, and the first match will be played between reigning Superbowl champions the New England Patriots and the Kansas City Chiefs. The last game between these two teams was a close one, with the Patriots winning out 27-20.

When: Friday 8 September, 10:15am.

Channel: ESPN 2.

JOUSTING

AFL

For a completely different live sport event, why not show the actionpacked Jousting World Championships this month? Held at Sydney’s St Ives Medieval Fair, jousters from around the world will literally clash to be named champion.

When: Sunday 24 September, 3:30pm.

Channel: Fox Sports 3.

It’s time for the Finals series of AFL, culminating in the Grand Final on the last day of the month. Who will make it to the very end? Will the Crows win their first Premiership in almost twenty years? Will the GWS Giants make it to their first Grand Final?

When: Saturday 30 September, 2pm.

Channel: 7.

NEXT MONTH

It’s not over until October – 1 October to be exact. The NRL 2017 Premiership will be decided on the first day of the month. While Melbourne Storm are the favourites, it’s anyone’s game, with 10 points dividing the top six teams at time of publishing.

When: Sunday 1 October, 7:30pm.

Channel: 9. *All times are AEST

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