R&C June 2011

RestaurantCatering

Glenn Bacon of Queensland's Hayman Island explains how they swept the Savour Awards last year

Official Journal of

Restaurant & Catering

How to make breakfast service worth the effort, page 19 Controlling the spin cycle Winter wines to warm your palate, page 32 What the EFTPOS changes mean to you Mysteries of mobile marketing explained Breakthrough kitchen products, page 30

PRINT POST APPROVED PP: 255003/07314 ISSN 1442-9942

Paradise won

I believe good cooking is the accumulation of small details done to perfectionWisdom from Grant Kells of Flint Dining Room & Bar

June 2011 $6.95 GST incl.

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Hayman Island was the stand-out at last years Awards for Excellence. Glenn Bacon explains why

Cover story

In this issue ...

Contents

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June 2011 $6.95 GST incl.

The product name Caddy is a registered trademark of Caddie S.A. and is used by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles courtesy of Caddie S.A.

www.volkswagen-commercial.com.au

Volkswagen Transporter and Volkswagen Caddy Van feature just the right ingredients

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efficiency. Amazing versatility. Transporter & Caddy Van deliver new standards in

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then these two vans should be on top of your shopping list. See your nearest Volkswagen

Commercial Vehicle Dealer or call 1800 VW VANS (1800 898 267).

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Upfront4 From the Association:

John Hart on what you should know about the new Ir regulations, and Brien trippas asks, who is whispering in the prime Minister's ear?

6 News and events Budget hits the spot; sydney's Quay among world's best, and more...

Wisdom19 The breakfast club

the business case for offering a breakfast service is tricky. so why do it?

21 Spin cycleWhen youre opening the doors of a new business, smart pr strategies can make the difference between creating buzz and not rating a mention

24 What I've learnt the chef and owner of Flint Dining room & Bar and Flint in the vines in the Act talk about the importance of details and the attraction of offal

Stuff26 Dining on EFTPOS

change is afoot with the fees EFtpos charges to retailers, but what will that mean for the restaurant business?

28 Mobile marketingFrom geolocation services to cutting-edge apps, new online services are changing the way you can market your restaurant

30 Innovation nationyour kitchen of the future can be pieced together from this years winners of the Kitchen Innovation awards

32 Chilled winesA winter wine list should be a reflection of something trendy, something new, something well-lovedand lots of reds

34 Syracuse Restaurantpaul lumicisi found a dilapidated hotel dining room and decided to revitalise it.

Restaurant & Catering magazine is published under licence on behalf of Restaurant & Catering by Engage Custom Media, Suite 4.08, The Cooperage, 56 Bowman Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009 www.engagemedia.com.au

Editorial Director: Rob Johnson Creative Director: Tim Donnellan Sub-editor: Lucy Robertson

Contributors: Sharon Aris, Nicole Azzopardi, John Burfitt, Ben Canaider, Kellie Morle, Kerryn Ramsey, Danielle Veldre

Commercial Director: Mark Brown Sales Director: Steve Flatley

Direct: (02) 9660 6995 ext 502Fax: (02) 9518 5600Mobile: 0422 208 566Email: [email protected]

For all editorial, subscription and advertising enquiries, ph: 1300 722 878

Print Post approved PP: 2255003/06505, ISSN 1442-99422011 Engage Custom Media. Views expressed in Restaurant & Catering maga-zine are not necessarily those of Restau-rant & Catering or that of the publisher, editor or Engage Custom Media.

As usual, the end of this month will see the start of a whole lot of new regulations, taxes and rates of pay. In particular, effective July 1, all of the transition rates under the Modern Awards will be readjusted.At this time of year, more than any other, it is important to keep in contact with the Association. We will send out updated wage tables, and the Work-place Relations Call Centre team are available to answer all the questions you might have. This is the best way to ensure that you have the right advice.

There are also some other changes that take effect in the second half of the year, some of which are state-based and may be important to your business. R&C is producing template policies and wage tables to assist with the legislative and regulatory changes that are being made. If you are unsure of your obligations call 1300 722 878 (1300 RCAUST) and speak to the support team.

To support this work R&C has also established a new web site. Please log on and get a password to the members section. There is a growing resource base in this section of the site that will also assist you to meet your regulatory obligations.

There are more and more obligations that your business has to meet. Our objec-tive is to make compliance easier by providing the tools you need.

John Hart CEO, Restaurant & Catering

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

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Red tape returnsStarting next month, a raft of new regulations will make IR compliance a nightmare all over again.

from the association

7,661 - CAB Audited as at March, 2011

4 RESTAURANT & CATERING

Restaurant & Catering Suite 17, 401 Pacific highway, Artarmon NSW 20641300 RCAUST (722 878) Ph: (02) 9966 0055. Fax: 1300 722 396,Web: www.restaurantcater.asn.auRestaurant guide: www.restaurant.org.auCaterers guide: www.caterer.org.auEmail: [email protected]

President: Brien Trippas (NSW)Senior Vice President: Kevin gulliver (QLD)Junior Vice President: Terry Soukoulis (SA)Treasurer: Richard harper (VIC)Chief Executive Officer: John hartR&C is a federation of the following associations, working together on national issues on behalf of their members.

Restaurant & Catering NSWPh: (02) 1300 722 878. Fax: (02) 1300 722 396Email: [email protected]: Ian Martin

Restaurant & Catering QLDPh: (07) 3360 8888. Fax: (07) 3252 7554Email: [email protected]: Peter Summers

Restaurant & Catering ACTPh: 1300 650 646. Fax: (02) 9211 3800Email: [email protected]: Fiona Wright

Restaurant & Catering SAPh: (08) 8351 7837. Fax: (08) 8351 7839Email: [email protected]: Terry SoukoulisChief Executive Officer: Sally Neville

Restaurant & Catering TasPh: (03) 6224 7033. Fax: (03) 6224 7988Email: [email protected]: Phil Capongeneral Manager: Steve Old

Restaurant & Catering VicPh: (03) 9654 5866. Fax: (03) 9654 5286Email: [email protected]: Matteo Pignatelli

Restaurant & Catering WAPh: (08) 9328 7266. Fax: (08) 9328 7366Email: [email protected]: Paul Buckman

The silent majorityPerhaps the Prime Ministers problems stem from who is whispering in her ear

It is pretty clear to me why there is a disconnect between the decisions taken by the Prime Minister and some of her colleagues and the views of votersthey are listening to the wrong people! how many times do we see the pho-tos of tables of prominent big end of towners and the PM deep in discus-sion? Whether its over the carbon price, wage rates for apprentices, occupational health and safety or the fair work laws, the view of big business is very different from most Australians. The best proxy for business influence on voting intentions is employment. That is, the views of a sector of the economy, translates in votes through its employees. For example, mining accounts for 1.2 per cent of employ-ment: so a decision favourable to miners is likely to sway 1.2 per cent of the vote.

When you consider that agriculture accounts for 3.2 per cent, manufacturing 10.7 per cent and the entire membership of the union movement 18 per cent, you get some sort of picture of how the advice might be distorted. In contrast, 82 per cent of jobs are in the services sectors, and 47 per cent in small business. Whilst these proportions obviously overlap, there are large parts of the Treasurers patchwork around which decisions are not being made. This has a major distorting effect. For all our sakes, lets hope the government starts a dialogue with small business before the patchwork is reduced to tatters!

Brien TrippasPresident, Restaurant & Catering


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According to the CEO of Restaurant & Catering, for the nations restaurants, cafes and caterers, the 2011-12 Federal budget hits the spot of where the challenges areskilled jobs!John Hart said that R&C welcomed the industry-directed nature of the National Workplace and Productivity Agency. A more strategic approach to workforce development is vital, he added. In recent times we have seen some of the old system prejudices influence where resources are allocatedwhich clearly doesnt work.

The multi-speed economy has left the restaurant industry exposed with large skills and labour shortages affecting sus-tainability. The resources sector saps other industries of work-ers, and some of this will be addressed by the new budget measures. Assuming that the fast growing, Masterchef-fuelled restaurant industry is to be included in the National Work-place and Productivity Initiatives, Hart said, Filling gaps in the workforce and developing skills are the highest priority for our industries right now. We are still experiencing strong growth and we need skilled workers to keep the doors open.

Support for trade-based occupations, such as cooks and chefs, is a very constructive use of government resources, he said. Restaurants, cafes and the accommodation sector need 56,000 more staff by 2012-13 to keep pace with growth. Bud-get measures that will help solve the skills challenges include apprenticeship mentoring, accelerated apprenticeships, a national workforce development fund and productivity education and training fund.

While not embraced by everyone, this years Federal budget has hit a sweet spot with the hospitality industry

Budget hits the spot

News&events


Quay to the worlds best listIn April Quay restaurant in Sydney was voted Num-ber 26 on the coveted S.Pellegrino Worlds 50 Best Restaurants list. The restaurant first broke onto the list in 2009, joining such hallowed establishments as Noma, El Bulli and Fat Duck, with a ranking of 46th. In 2010 Quay rocketed up 19 spots to 27th position. This year, Quay has been awarded the 26th best restaurant in the world, named The Best Restaurant in Australasia and is the only Australian restaurant on the list.

Four Australian restaurants are in the Top 100, three of which are in Sydney. The three other Aus-tralian restaurants on this years list are Tetsuyas at 58 and Marque at 70, and Melbournes Attica at 53.

For all details go to www.theworlds50best.com.

This budget will hopefully help develop a skilled workforce for the industry through new measures.

Peter Gilmore of Quay, 26th best res-

taurant in the world.

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NewsTaste of MelbourneCome September, the Royal Exhibition Buildings will again host Melbournes premier food and wine event, Taste of Melbourne. Jacques Reymond, the new face of premium French appliance brand, De Dietrich, will be plying his expertise at Taste of Melbourne along with some of Melbournes leading and hatted restaurants who are all lining up to participate.

Victorias leading produce suppliers and purveyors of gastronomic goodies will again exhibit their wares for tast-ing and buying. Judy Sarris and wine expert Nick Stock and a leading team of experts will guide wine lovers through tastes ranging from the boutique to the rare something that appeals to everyone from the beginner to the connoisseur in the Taste Wine Theatre by Gourmet Traveller WINE.

Taste of Melbourne will again use the upper floor of the Royal Exhibition Building with a number of new initiatives aimed at providing the maximum stimulation to even the most jaded palate.

To find out more, including dates and prices, go online to www.tasteofmelbourne.com.au.


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North goes WestfieldBcasse chef Justin North and his wife Georgia are risking about $4 million on the launch of Quarter Twenty One in Westfields flag-ship mall in Sydneys CBD. The risk identified by commentators is: does a fine-diner belong in a shopping centre?

Because North is moving Bcasse to this location, where it will sit alongside a cooking school, providore, bakery and a second, more casual restaurant. North already has a casual diner, Charlie & Co., at the shopping centre. Inspiration for the venture came from New York restaurant Per Se, food emporiums such as the fifth floor of Harvey Nichols in London, and shopping, dining and enter-tainment districts like Ginza in Tokyo. David Tsirekas, of Perama in Petersham, and Alessandro Pavoni, from Ormeggio at The Spit, are both due to open restaurants in the complex later this year.The Norths were initially approached by Westfield about opening a cafe but decided to use it as the launching pad for something much bigger. North told a newspaper hell lose some of his regular Becasse clientele as a result of the move. Its important we look after regulars but at the same time you cant go backwards; you have to keep moving forward, he said.

R&C_210x297_FEB10_PRINT.indd 1 10/02/11 9:30 AM

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June - July 2011

Test your palate with 15 shiraz varietal wines at McWilliams

Wine Show Judging Experience. All part of the Brisbane Fine Wine

Festival on June 17-19. Visit www.winefestival.com.au

17Thirteen wineries offer small

meals during Yarra Valleys Shortest Lunch in Victoriaa perfect way to celebrate the shortest

weekend of the year. Visit www.yarravalleysmallerwineries.com.au

18Melbournes Starlight Five Chefs

Dinner stars Frank Camorra, Shane Delia (right), Dan Hunter, Jason

Camillo of Grand Hyatt, and Burch & Purchese of The Sweet Studio.

Visit www.starlight.org.au

16R&CSAs Sally Neville was a finalist

in last years Telstra Business Womens Awardsnow its your turn. Visit www.telstrabusiness-

womensawards.com

Jun15

Eminent chef Peter Gilmore of Sydneys Quay restaurant kicks off

the Great Barrier Feast series at Hamilton Island on June 24-26.

Visit www.hamiltonisland.com.au

24Rococo, Season and Gaston

restaurants join forces today to offer a three-course progressive

lunch during The Noosa Long Weekend Festival. Visit

www.noosalongweekend.com

23The Queensland Safety Show on June 21-23 in Brisbane has 40 speakers addressing workplace health and safety issues. Visit www.safetyevents.com.au

22Contests galore at FSA Expo and Bakery Australia on June 19-21

with national championships for chefs and apprentice chefs. Visit

www.foodserviceaustralia.com.au

2120Melbournes FoodService Australia Expo offers Can We Talk? sessions,

with industry experts providing tips on business operations. On June 19-21; visit www.foodserviceaustralia.com.au

Restaurant & Catering Western Australia announces its state

awards in Perth. For more information, call (08) 93287266 or

visit www.wrca.com.au

19

Queenslands Surfers Paradise Festival on June 16-July 9

boasts an array of creative food events, including A La Carte In

The Park on July 2. Visit www.surfersparadisefestival.com

28Wine expert Peter Bourne and

artisan cheesemaker Nick Haddow of Bruny Island Cheese Co. host Tastings at the Top in Tasmanias Cradle Mountain Lodge. www.cradlemountainlodge.com.au

27Touted as the largest tea trade

show and conference in the world, the World Tea Expo in Las

Vegas is on June 24-26. Visit www.worldteaexpo.com

26Last years Electrolux Young Chef

winner Soren Lascelles and Young Waiter winner Louise Tamayo

represent us in the S.Pellegrino Cooking Cup in Venice.

25

Want to spoil yourself? Jet off to Matakauri Lodge in Queenstown,

New Zealand, to taste a degustation dinner by renowned Sydney chef Mark Best of Marque. Visit www.matakaurilodge.co.nz

2Get to know the meat you eat at Victor Churchill butchery classes

during Sydneys Good Food & Wine Show on July 1-3. Visit www.goodfoodshow.com.au

July1Keep the champagne cold and

calculators on handend-of-fiscal-year celebrations take

place today.

30Northern Territorys apprentice

and junior chefs compete in the regional Nestl Golden Chefs Hat Awards at Charles Darwin University in Palmerston. Visit www.nestleprofessional.com

29

Beginner, intermediate and advanced barista training is on offer at Coffee Fest in Hawaii on July 8-10. Or try your hand at

the Latte Art Championship. Visit www.coffeefest.com

8Discover how to tame the truffle by taking part in dinners, tastings

and cooking demos during Canberras Truffle Festival. Visit www.trufflefestival.com.au or

www.visitcanberra.com.au

6Melanie Steel proves that cooking

is fun during her Kids In The Kitchen classes for eight-to-10-

year-olds at Accoutrement in Sydneys Mosman. Visit www.

accoutrement.com.au

5Restaurant & Catering NSW announces the Awards for

Excellence for the regions of Central Coast, Hunter, Northern

NSW and New England. Call 1300 722 878.

4Your liver will thank you. Dry July asks you to give up alcohol for a month and raise money to help

people with cancer. Visit www.dryjuly.com

3

Get the heads up on the latest food products, ingredients

and equipment at Foodpro on July 10-13 at the Sydney

Convention & Exhibition Centre. Visit www.foodproexh.com

11Beat the winter blues at Chocolate Winterfest in Tasmanias Latrobe (www.chocolatewinterfest.com.

au) or have a cold one or two at the Darwin Beer Can Regatta (www.beercanregatta.org.au).

10Thursday is the awards dinner, Friday is the trade tasting but

today you can test your tastebuds at the Master Wine Challenge of

the Royal Queensland Wine Show. Visit www.rna.org.au

9

Taste your way through a variety of cheeses at the Cheese Matters Discovery Class at Perths Good

Food & Wine Show on July 15-17. Visit www.goodfoodshow.com.au

15The Mildura Writers Festival in northwestern Victoria feeds the

soul and the body on July 14-17. Visit www.artsmildura.com.

au/writers

14Ingredient innovation, packaging processors and peoples choice are new categories being announced

at the Food Challenge Awards. Visit www.foodmag.com.au

13The Australian Institute of

Food Science and Technology Convention attempts to answer

the question: Who Rules? Chefs vs Food Technologists. On July 10-13 in Sydney; visit www.aifst.asn.au

12

whats on


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cover story

Queenslands Hayman Island was the stand-out at last years Awards for Excellence. Executive chef Glenn Bacon explains why

hen Hayman Islands execu-tive chef Glenn Bacon says, We do have a fair few chefs helping us out on the island, hes certainly the master of understatement. The array of restaurants at Hayman, a se-cluded far-north Queensland resort located at the northend of the Whitsunday islands, requires him to manage

48 chefs and 69 kitchen staff. Even more overwhelming, the concept of a quiet Monday simply doesnt exist. There is no such thing as a busy Saturday night, he explains. When the guests arrive, they want their Saturday night on a Monday or Tuesday night.

Bacons skill at managing this mammoth businessas well as creating culinary masterpieceswas recognised last year when La Fontaine won both Restaurant of the Year and Best European Restaurant at the 2010 Restaurant & Catering Queensland Awards for Excel-lence, as well as winning Best European Restaurant at the 2010 National Savour Australia Restaurant & Catering Awards for Excellence in October.

According to Bacon, its the restaurants consistency that won over the judges. We dont really see what everyone else is doing so we just have the one standard that we set ourselves. My team is really focused on delivering a high-quality product. Its that consistency and our ability to exceed our guests expectations that is our strength, says this executive chef whos been in the industry for 25 years.

A slew of other R&C Queensland awards for Hayman gave Bacon and management more to celebrate, winning Corporate Caterer of the Year, Best Tourism Restaurant, Best Asian Restaurant, Best Breakfast Restaurant and Best Wedding Caterer. The gongs continued at the national awards, also taking away Best Corporate Caterer, Best Wed-ding Caterer, Best Asian Restaurant

and Best Tourism Restaurant. Hayman Island has been one of Austra-

lias iconic resorts since it was

created by avia-tion pioneer Reg Ansett in 1950. How-ever, it was another Aus-

tralian, Sir Peter Abeles, who is

responsible for the existing five-star resort.

Abeles had a $300-million vision that included building fine dining restaurants and creating a

words: kErryn rAmsEy pHotoGrApHy: lIsA Burns


Island life

Its consistency and our ability to exceed our guests

expectations that is our strength.

Glenn Bacon, La Fontaine, Haymen Island

A slew of other R&C Queensland awards for Hayman gave Bacon and management more to celebrate, winning Corporate Caterer of the Year, Best Tourism Restaurant, Best Asian Restaurant, Best Breakfast Restaurant and Best Wedding Caterer. The gongs continued at the national awards, also taking away Best Corporate Caterer, Best Wed-ding Caterer, Best Asian Restaurant

and Best Tourism Restaurant. Hayman Island has been one of Austra-

lias iconic resorts since it was

created by avia-tion pioneer Reg Ansett in 1950. How-ever, it was another Aus-

tralian, Sir Peter Abeles, who is

responsible for the existing five-star resort.

Abeles had a $300-million vision that included building fine dining restaurants and creating a


Glenn Bacon, executive chef at Hayman Island:

Theres no such thing as a busy Saturday nightguests want that service

every night.

level of luxury that was unknown in Australia at that time. La Fontaine, the islands culinary jewel, is adorned with Louis

XVI-inspired furnishings, elegant chandeliers and the restau-rants centrepiecea limestone fountain. Contemporary Euro-pean cuisine is on the menu, with seasonally oriented fare. Im not a chef who wants to change the whole menu in one go, say Bacon. If a dish evolves or if its no longer relevant, then well change that particular dish. All the menus are printed in house which gives us the option to freely change things around.

For a theatrical effect, La Fontaine has a selection of dishes that are created live at the table, including a signature duck dish presented in two courses. A lot of chefs usually stay in the back-of-house and leave the waiters to deal with the guests, says Bacon, but with these particular dishes, its an opportunity for the chefs to interact with the guests.

Food and beverage manager Oliver Strick-land has his office positioned right next to Bacons for easy communication. When creating a new dish, for example, they have to organise the recipes, the costing and the photographic images, and then launch it and train the staff. We work in harmony with each other, explains Ba-

con. Its just one new dish but theres a lot of background work to make sure we have a lovely consistent product going out.

While Bacon manages the cooking staff, Strickland manages 69 front-of-house staff. He also looks after Haymans In-Room Dining Department, a 24-hour-a-day service where staff mem-bers drive up to half a kilometre in buggies to deliver food to guests. At the same time, there are 420 staff on the island, so we also coordinate nearly 1300 meals a day for them, he says.

Bacon and Strickland share a cer-tain synergy with their career paths. Both are from Sydney and both started their early training at the Sydney Opera House. Bacon com-pleted his apprenticeship there, and then travelled to Europe and the UK where he worked in various London establishments including the highly acclaimed Chelsea House Hotel, The Berkeley and InterContinental Hotel in London.

Strickland began his career straight out of high school at a pub restaurant in Sydney, eventually working his way up to banquet supervisor at the Sydney Opera House. He too was bitten by the travel bug and after four years overseas, he returned to work at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth during the upheaval of its refurbishment and rebranding. He began at Hayman in 2005.

With Bacon and Strickland managing La Fontaine, as well as its other main restaurants, bars, lounges and numerous other culinary projects, operational skills are paramount to keep everything running smoothly. Hayman is a unique environ-ment. Its not like we do normal hours; its a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week operation, says Strickland.

cover story


Food and beverage manager Oliver

Strickland and events services manager Raina Carruthers.

Planning for the unexpectedBeachside breakfasts one day, a mini-rock festivals the nextits the unexpected that appeals to professional caterers working at an upmarket island resort. On Hay-

man Island, events services manager Raina Carruthers is capable of rising to any challenge.

Some of the most complex events shes taken on include Hayman on the Greens, where reams of picnic blankets and stalls providing sushi, soups and ice-creams were set up so guests could watch the likes of rock legends James Reyne and Vanessa Amorosi perform. Another memo-rable event was a circus big-top on the

island. Fortunately, large events dont faze Carruthersthe biggest event this year had 440

guests. My passion is the banqueting and confer-ence side of things, she says.

The logistics are undoubtedly daunting, but the dedica-tion of the catering staff is recognised by Haymans man-agement. They are some of the hardest working people I have ever come across, says Food & Beverage manager Oliver Strickland. With some of the larger conferences, its not uncommon for our staff to be doing 18- and 20-hour days, three or four days in a row.

Camaraderie is a key requirement due to the way of life on the island. At the moment we have 420 staff, says Carruthers, and we live within 500 metres of each other in our village. Your friendships are built within a week, yet you feel like youve been friends for two years. These people become your surrogate family.

Your friendships are built within a week,

yet you feel like youve been friends for two years. These people become your surrogate family.

Raina Carruthers, Events Services Manager

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Hospitality training is another priority that makes La Fontaine a restaurant leader. Hayman is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World organisation which requires a regimented training process. They audit our resort to a certain standard and all our training for all our service staff is to their standard, explains Bacon. All of our waiters do two days of Hayman training and a day-and-a-half of food and beverage training before they even get to look at a guest.

Due to the unique island lifestyle, the turnover of hospitality staff, particularly juniors, can be fairly frequent. However, ac-cording to Bacon, upper- and mid-level management is currently stable. Its not unusual for employees to stay for 10 years, says this executive chef. During the past five years, its really turned around and we are concentrating on making sure the team are well looked after and have everything they need.

Situated in the heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef, environ-mental awareness has been well addressed at La Fontaine and Haymans other food establishments. All products and delivery crates are recycled, and they have encouraged suppliers to deliver everything in sustainable packaging.

Everything is broken down in the kitchen, says Strickland. A lot of our cardboard and green waste are put onto mulching piles, then every month we get a huge machine to spend two days turning it into mulch. The resort is almost like a little city: we make all our own electricity, provide our own fresh water and have our own sewer plant. We make sure nothing is wasted.

For many guests, a visit to Hayman is a once-in-a-lifetime expe-rience. We have such a mix of guests, whether its a bus driver or a CEO of a multinational company, says Bacon. One thing they all have in common is their expectations are the same, and thats what we try to exceed. We have a captive audience here, but the variety of restaurants we can offer makes a visit a distinc-tive island experience that is unavailable on the other islands.

cover story


Glenn Bacon says that, due to the unique island lifestyle at Hayman, senior staff frequently stay for years.

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The

t The Bathers Pavilion at Balmoral, Sydney, theres nothing relaxing about a Sunday morning. Sunday is the busiest breakfast of the week and the place hums with activity as the all-made-on-the premises offer-ings are sent out at timely intervals. Indeed, so iconic is breakfast at

Bathers that owner Serge Dansereau counts both regulars and summer-holidaying Brits, who arrive 7am, fresh off the plane for their annual pilgrimage. But while breakfast might be an established tradition, the finances/business case for doing it is anything but straightforward.

For a start says Dansereau, busy Sundays also mean paying more Sunday penalty rates. For public holidays, its two-and-a-half-times base rate. You have to question yourself to see if it has the returns, he says matter-of-factly. For us, we make it work because its high volume. We need to remain busy to offer the breakfast. Doubly so because, at Bathers, everything from the jam to the croissants to the freshly laundered table-cloths and napkins is done by staff in-house.

This means a very close eye is kept on costs at regular reviews, and building pricing to the upper end of the range. If it can be sold for $10, can you sell it for $11? asks Dan-sereau. If coffee is $3.50, can you sell it for $3.70?

Hes just come from a meeting about the upcoming Queens Birthday long weekend, which has an additional public holiday. With these public holidays we have to look at price. We have to print a new menu for public holiday days.

He concedes, Theres always a fear of raising your price. Its not transparent, like CPI goes up 1.3 per cent, or you raise when petrol goes up. Dansereau mentions he knows a city restaurateur who puts his prices up annually in line with infla-tion: But we try to be more efficient, make volume go up. Last year, we went to Brisbane and Western Australia. Their basic prices were more expensive. In Queensland price of fish was what we charge here, but they have less rent.

He points out costs are up considerably this year, the result of the new Federal award and rising utility bills. My power bill is going up 20 per cent, gas is up, water is up. So if there isnt more volume, we need to be more efficient or put prices up.

And at the heart of this is striking a balance between his

The business case for offering a breakfast service is tricky, with penalty rates, rising power costs, and price sensitivity from consumers. So why do it?

wordS: Sharon ariS


Management

breakfast clubDelicious but

expensive, breakfast can be

the most important meal of your day.

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and the ability to hold 20 preset programs. Built to broil, bake, roast and hold anywhere you want to

take it, the E31D4 simply delivers the very best in good-to-go performance.

NEW RACKINGSYSTEM

ANTI-SKID STEEL FEET

PORCELAINENAMELLED

OVEN INTERIOR

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SAFE-TOUCHVENTING DOOR

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Moffat Pty Limited Victoria/Tasmania 740 Springvale Road, Mulgrave, Victoria 3170 Ph 03-9518 3888 Fax 03-9518 3833 [email protected]

New South Wales Ph 02-8833 4111 [email protected] South Australia Ph 03-9518 3888 [email protected]

Queensland Ph 07-3630 8600 [email protected] Western Australia Ph 08-9202 6820 [email protected]

www.moffat.com.auwww.turbofanoven.com

business self and his chef self. Im the owner, I have integrity and Im the chef. Ill always put quality on the plate. I cant squeeze things to compromise the quality. If I had five business partners it would be all about the money and I wouldnt have as much on a plate. But I am a businessman, so thats where efficiencies come in, he says.

We have our own truck and our own employees to go to the market and buy the fruit and vegetables. Were not saving mon-ey, but were able to have greater quality for the money, its on time and we know what were buying. He credits his old-school hotel training with in-house approach (they also have an in-house laundry and bakery).

Owner-chef Andrew McCon-nell didnt originally intend on doing a breakfast service at Cumulus Inc. in Mel-bourne, despite his reputa-tion as a revered breakfast chef. It was only when hed moved in and spent time in the place, he realised how beautiful the space was in the morning.

But it wasnt just the surrounds. McCon-nell says that with the price of CBD rents, putting on an extra service makes good eco-nomic sense in terms of maximising your return on the space. One reason Cumulus is good for breakfast is were targeting a different audience, he says. We have cus-tomers who wouldnt necessarily come to Cumulus at other settings. And theres al-ways the possibility that he can entice them back for another time after that first visit.

Like Dansereau, McConnell cautions that breakfast only works if you are willing to apply the same level of care and attention to the service and food as you would for a dinner sitting. This includes paying attention to the produce and being willing to price ac-cordingly: Theres no point in using bacon thats $12 a kilo if you cant charge for it.

Most important, he says, is understand-ing the particular service requirements of a breakfast service: With the breakfast regulars, consistency is the key. Its the one meal that needs to be the same. This doesnt mean you cant change the menu, but we are creatures of habit and breakfast is a destination where the service, coffee and juice have to be right.

He also notes there is a food trend towards healthier options. Now eggs bene-dict is a big indulgence for me. Breakfast has to have healthy optionspeople are looking for that, so its things like having

more than one fruit plate, a few healthy options, rather than just one, he says.Lisa van Haandel, co-owner Circa, The Prince in St Kilda, Victorialong been

known for its breakfasts (indeed, some years ago McConnell was in the kitchen)agrees breakfast is the most difficult service of the day: People are their most pedantic about breakfast; they can be so moody. So its important to get the first juice and first coffee out and for it to be very good. You need a fast, tight team for that. You need morning peoplethey have to be able to read people.

At Circa, breakfast was initially put on for hotel guests, and its maintained for that very reason. But she is also mindful of the different groups it brings to the hotel and restaurant, from the lounging weekend brunch-ers to the business breakfast types. There is a big difference between people who need fuel and those who are lounging and enjoying. This means maintain-ing a menu that balances the standards. You have to provide some sort of toasted sandwich, some eggs and bacon, but also gourmet smoked trout, fresh juice, and the papers. Its deca-dence, but not too naughty.

Van Haandel has her doubts about the economic benefit: You cant really make money out of it, she says. But despite that, she says, it has to be done. There are breakfast places all around, but its part of the hos-pitality service we have. I love breakfast. Its my favourite meal. Wed never not do breakfast.

Management


Turnover is vital to justify the costs of offering a breakfast service.

The takeoverAt the Rare Pear in Holland Park, Brisbane, part-owner Irene Di Marco is still finding her breakfast feet, having taken over this established business only a few months ago when her familylong-term restaurateurspurchased the business. Part of the attraction to the business was a strong clientele including at breakfast. To maintain the locals in their breakfast comfort zone, Irene has been busy assuring them that while the owners have changed, the chef is the same, the suppliers are the same and the menu is, yes, also unchanged.

Di Marco adds for breakfast, service is the key so: Make sure someone is always out front, greeting and seating customers Give people what they ask Dont have staff just standing around Get the coffee out quick.

here are many business clichs youll hear when embarking on a new ven-ture, but there are some that are worth paying closer attention to. One piece of advice counsels that, Theres no use creating the best service in the world if no-one knows about it. Another claims, Its all in the timing.

Such wise words became the mantra for Amber Forrest-Bisley, director of media consultancy Cardinal Spin, when she began working with chef Alessandro Pavoni in the months lead-ing up to the opening of Ormeggio At The Spit on Sydneys northern beaches in late 2009. In fact, he approached me with the news before he even had bought the restaurant, so once the contracts were signed, we could literally press the button on all the pre-promotion, Forrest-Bisley recalls.

The main thing is doing all the hard yards well in advance. Before the kitchen was even in, we had newspaper readers dinners set-up, media releases written, interviews taking place and photography done.

But chef Pavoni admits with so much advance promotion,

it did add to some sleepless nights. It was really down to the wire whether we were going to get it open in time! he says. Ormeggio is a case study of an effective PR and marketing launch campaign. The opening of the eatery filled the food and social pages for weeks, with profile stories on the acclaimed chef and features about the design of the new premises rolled out later.

As a result, Ormeggio was booked out for months. When Ormeggio opened its doors, people couldnt get in there fast enough, Forrest-Bisley says. Column inches (in the media) is how you measure the success of a campaign, but the number of bums on seats is the true measure.

Whether employing a major communications corporation or utilising do-it-yourself PR strategies found online to spread the word of a new enterprise, some basic rules must be followed.

Long before the first media release is written or the first food editor is contacted, the business must attend to issues of iden-tity about how the restaurant will be positioned in the market-place. Aside from having a clear outline of the services being offered and a mission statement containing details of its most valuable points of difference, a profile of who is the intended

When youre opening the doors of a new business, smart PR strategies can make the difference between creating buzz and not rating a mention

WoRds: john buRfitt


Marketing

Spin cycle Alessandra Pavoni (at back) with the staff at Ormeggio at its opening in 2009.

customer must also be created, as should company branding also be in place.To start promotion without having the house in order is, Genevieve Taubman-

Campbell of The Mint Partners consultancy says, like signing up for a marathon before learning how to walk.

So often people have a great idea for wanting to launch their business, but they dont know exactly who their cus-tomer is or who they are marketing to, or even what their offer to market place is, Taubman-Campbell says. The Mint Partners launched Ripples at Whale Beach on Sydneys northern beaches 18 months ago, and also handles PR for all Ripples cafes and Aqua Dining. The owner really needs to do some work before they do any talking. They need to know what their offer is and make sure that is getting out there to the target audience, she continues.

Work has to go into building the brand, and a lot of people have not thought about that properly. They need to be sure that the branding is talking to the style of the restaurant, then linking through to the website and then through to the communications going out to the media. You need to have all of that right before you open the doors.

In the case of the launch of Ripples at Whale Beach, the location played a major role in the way The Mint Partners dealt with the launch. We did the launch on a weekend when we knew the people who lived in the area but worked in the city would definitely be home, as well as those who have weekendersit was engaging with the locals from early on, Taubman-Campbell explains.

Despite the thinking of the bigger the launch party, the more ensuing noise the people attending will create, it is not necessarily the best return on the investment of time and money for all involved.

A big party isnt always a necessity, but a carefully targeted one can prove invaluable to a new business, says Forrest-Bisley of Cardinal Spin.

I am a big fan of intimate dinners, Taubman-Campbell says. A table of 12 media is a much more manageable way for the key people to experience dinner, rather than a noisy cocktail party. And from a PR point of view, you can talk to

the media in a more personal way and sell in the key messages and get the stories set it.

A one-on-one lunch might also be the way to go with top-tier media, as they feel they are getting the full experience and then the chef can later sit down with them.

Investing time into creating a comprehen-sive media list of key contacts can also pay off dividends fort gaining attention. Of the Ripples at Whales Beach launch, Taubman-Campbell says, We took local media very seriously and made sure we got them in-volved in what we were doing. And when we did go to them, we made sure it was with something new and something they could report on.

Karen Morris of consultancy Inscriptions Media, which has downtown Sydney caf Vivo as a client, adds, If it is a local business, then make friends with all the local editors in the area. They are always keen to involve local businesses, as long as you have a good, relevant angle to give them, and as long as you have someone available to talk.

If you want coverage in the media, there is no point in sending a lot of stuff out there and then having no-one available to talk to the media or a team who dont want to be involved. Angela Vithoulkas at Vivo is always fine to talk to the media and knows how to get the most out of it, says Morris.

Maintaining contact with key media part-ners and giving them reason to continue giv-ing attention to the business is an essential for maintaining a strong profile.

We have to keep evolving, creating new reasons for people to come back, or to try us for the first time, Alessandro Pavoni adds.

Using social media like Twitter@ormeggiothespit has over 200 follow-

erskeeps our followers constantly updated, and is a great way to con-nect directly with our customer base. Keeping the communica-tion channels open, Taubman-Campbell says, is the key. You have to constantly look for new

ideas, she says. At Ripples, we do lots of events, charity lunches, wine

dinners and book launches. We are al-ways looking for collaborations that we can

go to the media with, that has an angle and is relevant. That is still the biggest error I still see. People go to the media with ideas that dont fit, or have no relevance. You need to stop and thinkhave I really had a good look at this newspaper, magazine or blog? Where would my story fit here? Once you have done that, then proceed appropriately.

Marketing


Maintaining contact with key media partners has helped businesses like Sydneys Vivo (above) stay in the media spotlight.

We are always looking for

collaborationsevents, lunches and morethat we can

go to the media with, that has an angle and is relevant.

Genevieve Taubman-Campbell, The Mint Partners

Manrique RodriguezGeneral Manager InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto

The information in this document is general in nature and does not consider any of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on this information, you should consider obtaining advice from a licensed, financial product adviser and consider the appropriateness of this information, having regard to your particular investment needs, objectives and financial situation. You should obtain a copy of the HOSTPLUS Product Disclosure Statement and consider the information contained in the Statement before making any decision about whether to acquire an interest in HOSTPLUS. Issued by Host-Plus Pty Limited ABN 79 008 634 704, AFSL No. 244392, RSEL No. L0000093, HOSTPLUS Superannuation Fund ABN 68 657 495 890, RSE No. R1000054. INH_0209_04/11_01

7

Choose a quality service

When youve served the tourism industry for

over 24 years, you cant help but develop an

appreciation for the importance of service. Thats

the reason we brought the HOSTPLUS contact centre in-house when many others are being

outsourced. So our members are assured

theyre always speaking to a HOSTPLUS employee. And with offices nationwide, our

employers can call our employer services

team anytime. Thats why InterContinental

Melbourne The Rialto and almost one million

Australians choose HOSTPLUS. You can too at choosehostplus.com.au or call 1300 HOSTPLUS (1300 467 875). Choose quality.

0209_PRESS_AD_REST_CATE_JUNE_210X279_FA.indd 1 6/05/11 4:47 PM


Manrique RodriguezGeneral Manager InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto

The information in this document is general in nature and does not consider any of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on this information, you should consider obtaining advice from a licensed, financial product adviser and consider the appropriateness of this information, having regard to your particular investment needs, objectives and financial situation. You should obtain a copy of the HOSTPLUS Product Disclosure Statement and consider the information contained in the Statement before making any decision about whether to acquire an interest in HOSTPLUS. Issued by Host-Plus Pty Limited ABN 79 008 634 704, AFSL No. 244392, RSEL No. L0000093, HOSTPLUS Superannuation Fund ABN 68 657 495 890, RSE No. R1000054. INH_0209_04/11_01

7

Choose a quality service

When youve served the tourism industry for

over 24 years, you cant help but develop an

appreciation for the importance of service. Thats

the reason we brought the HOSTPLUS contact centre in-house when many others are being

outsourced. So our members are assured

theyre always speaking to a HOSTPLUS employee. And with offices nationwide, our

employers can call our employer services

team anytime. Thats why InterContinental

Melbourne The Rialto and almost one million

Australians choose HOSTPLUS. You can too at choosehostplus.com.au or call 1300 HOSTPLUS (1300 467 875). Choose quality.

0209_PRESS_AD_REST_CATE_JUNE_210X279_FA.indd 1 6/05/11 4:47 PM

've wanted to be a chef since I was about 10 years old, or even younger. Id help out with barbecues and cooking the family roast. At 12 or so I started to cook meals for my parents on their anniversary. When I was 15 and had the choice of going on at school or doing a cooking apprenticeship, it was an easy choice for me.

In those days, my inspirations were Marco Pierre White, Pierre Koffman and

Michael Bourdin at the Connaught Hotel in Mayfair, London. I started an apprenticeship there. It was a very traditional, old-fashioned kitchen. Because it was so long, you spent six months on every section and you have a real thorough training of traditional French cooking. They dont do that anymorethere are lots of apprentices who want to be a sous chef immediately. But cooking is a marathon, not a hundred-yard sprint, my chef told me. You need to learn as much as you can.

The key thing I learnt from Michael Bourdin at the Connaught is that good cooking is the accumulation of small details done to perfection. That was plastered on every wall of his kitchen, and I had to look at it every day for several years. Its true, too. Its now on my kitchen walls. Every part of it has to be done perfectly to get a finished result.

When I was there I won a competition for Best European Apprentice Chef. The final was in France, and you were competing against 11 Euro nations. I beat the French guy by one point. I got offered jobs in France in three-star restaurants. I worked at La Maison Troisgros, where they had a lot of Asian influences, especially Japanese. So I was opened up to three-star food.

The restaurant was in a small town in the middle of the Alps, so it was amazing. Michael Troisgrois was an amazing chef. Some of his ideas were unbelievable. He had a

worldwide empire, but he was at his main restaurant 90 per cent of the time, and he would jump into the kitchen and cook with you. That really inspired me. But after three years I wanted to go somewhere I didnt have to work 110 hours a week. I wanted to get out of France and I needed a break.

I went to MG Garage. Jeremy Strode taught me a lot of stuff about running your own business. That was really the first time I got to see how to run a business.

After that I went to Singapore to Raffles hotel. I went there and there was a massive learning curve.

I spent two years there. At Raffles was where I learnt how to deal with staff.

I was in charge of a lot of them. Thats where I learnt about the

real management side. Most chefs find that the step from chef to restaurateur is the biggest challenge. Food costs, wage costs, everything was worked out to the penny.

It was learning how to manage the business, really. The first

week you spent the whole time just on procedures.

I went to the US, to the Willard Hotel, next door to the White House. I was hired a week before (George) Bush (Jnr) was inaugurated. I wanted to live in the US for a while, but I also did it for the money. It was worth it. I didnt have any money behind me so I decided to work for a few years to save up to start my own place.

The restaurant Im in now is the one Ive always wanted. We have a whole nose-to-tail cooking thing happeningthats something I started to cook in my 30s. We now make our own black puddings and so on. I just started playing around with it. Jeremy Strode also cooks really good offal and stuff, so I think I got a bit of inspiration from him. I think that as Ive got older I like to cook food I like to eat.

The chef and owner of ACTs Flint Dining Room & Bar and Flint in the Vines on the importance of details and the attraction of offal

KellsGrantwoRDs: RoB johnson phoTogRAphy ChRis CAnhAm


What Ive learnt

The key thing I learnt from Michael

Bourdin at the Connaught is that good cooking is

the accumulation of small details done to

perfection.

anding over a credit or debit card is how most diners prefer to pay in res-taurants these days, with payments by cash or cheque a rare thing. Even card payments are getting quicker and easier, with tap-and-go-type systems increasingly common. An-other sign of this shift to a cash-free

world of retailing are the changes to the way EFTPOS fees are charged, due to start from October 1 this year. The new multi-lateral interchange fee model, announced by EFTPOS Payments Australian Limited (EPAL), is part of a range of moves to make EFTPOS more competitive with the banks and major credit card companies. The changes affect the way EFTPOS fees are paid by the banks, not the retailers or consumers, but there are ques-tions being raised about what the wider impacts will be. How will the new fee structure affect the way restaurants and cafes do business and will it have any impact on customers?

Under the new multilateral system, banks providing EFTPOS will pay no fees for transactions under $15, and five cents for transactions over $15. That fee is less than half the 12 cents paid for Visa and MasterCard debit cards for similar purchases, and is part of a move to make EFTPOS more competitive with the other banks and credit card companies.

Our new multilateral interchange fees should be considered alongside the separate scheme fees that apply to both EFTPOS and international scheme debit cards, says Bruce Mansfield, managing director at EPAL. When the significantly cheaper EFTPOS scheme fee is factored in, EFTPOS transaction charges will be three to four times cheaper for retailers than interna-tional debit card transactions.

The changes also affect fees paid for cash out EFTPOS transactions, with a 15 cent interchange fee to be paid by the card-issuing bank on each transaction.

EFTPOS already has a significant share of the debit card mar-ket, making up 83 per cent of debit card payments, and around 4.5 million transactions a day, according to EFTPOS figures.

Along with letting EFTPOS compete more effectively, the new fee changes are intended to help EPAL further develop the EFT-POS system. It plans to invest in updates like chip technology for improved security and contactless payments.

Impact on restaurantsSo how will the EFTPOS fee changes affect the way restaurants and cafes do business? Its uncertain at this stage. This is a price change which affects the banks in providing EFTPOS, not a direct price change to merchants and consumers, says Bruce Mansfield. But there could be some flow-on effects.

Those effects will be dependent on whether the banks absorb any extra costs incurred in the new EFTPOS fees, or pass them onto their restaurant and cafe clients.

For bigger restaurants and businesses already relying on card

Changes to EFTPOS are about trying to make small operators see the benefit of switching to cashless transactions.

EFTPOSChanges to the way EFTPOS fees are charged will start from October this year. But what will it mean for the restaurant business?

wOrdS: jOdiE ThOmSOn


Dining on

Special report


payments, any impacts will be determined on how their banks decide to treat the new EFTPOS fees. The biggest shift may be in smaller restaurants and cafes with mostly cash-paying customers.

Weve introduced the zero transaction fee for transactions under $15 to encourage those smaller businesses to accept EFT-POS over cash, says Mansfield. My message is that I want to make sure EFTPOS is always the cheapest and safest and fastest option so businesses are always happy to take EFTPOS.

For smaller cafes and restaurants, the growth of tap-and-go card terminals, which offer instant transactions with the wave of a card, may have the biggest impact on consumer behaviour and the way EFTPOS is used in those type of businesses. The days of paying cash for small buys like a coffee or sandwich may be coming to an end.

Money managementFor restaurants and cafes, the EFTPOS changes highlight the need to invest in cash-free technology, reflecting the needs of customers. Its all about understanding whats important to your customers and the sort of transactions youre doing, says Jon Hemming, business improvement expert with Unity Management. Generation Y, for example, have a much higher expectation for cashless, up and go type cards and transac-tions, even for low-dollar amounts. Its all about the ease of transactions and fluidity of exchanging service and fee.

In terms of potential impacts from the new EFTPOS fee structure, EPALs Bruce Mansfield advises restaurant and cafe owners to look closely at the type of transactions their businesses currently use.

For restaurant owners, they need to make sure they under-stand whether they do a lot of EFTPOS transactions and how they are priced today, says Mansfield. Many are probably just getting one price for all credit and debit cards and the EFTPOS is embedded in that. Id say perhaps they should ask their banks to have separate pricing for credit versus debit, as EFTPOS will always be the cheapest.

The new EFTPOS fee structure, and any extra charges that restaurant and cafe owners might face from their banks, also highlights the need to keep track of how their bank is treating them.

Its definitely worth shopping around and comparing merchant fees, says Jon Hemming of Unity Management. Small businesses can do this really well, dealing with their business banker.

And if the new EFTPOS fees do result in extra bank charges, restaurant businesses should weigh those carefully against any other benefits the EFTPOS system brings to the business.

Its about looking at the business holistically and considering how important these charges are to profitability and other parts of the business, Hemming says.

A new way to connect with your customersRegistration Coupons Store Locator Ordering Barcode Loyalty

To find out how you can take advantage of RedCats Mobile Applications, call 1300 4 REDCAT or visit www.redcat.com.au

RedCats mobile applications can provide you with a loyalty system, send out coupons and special offers, allow your customers to order remotely and much more.

27 RESTAURANT & CATERING RESTAURANT & CATERING 27

Special report

emember when marketing used to involve letter-boxing the neighbourhood with a few hundred flyers, or dropping an ad in the local paper? When we all agreed word-of-mouth was the most powerful recommendation you could get, and to get it, you just had to do a good job? Ah, they were the good old

daysmaybe a year or two ago.Now the way we communicate with each other is far more

technologically sophisticatedand with that change comes more complex (and intimidating) marketing choices. One of the great challenges facing a restaurateur at the moment is simply under-standing whats out there. Where six months ago everyone was talking about the commercial application of social media and why you should have your own Facebook page, now its all about smartphone apps, location services and real-time booking. None of which are a replacement for old-school marketing.

I dont think these types of services will ever replace traditional marketing methods but I think they certainly complement them, says Andrew Shakepeare, creator of the Hungry Horse smart-phone app. I actually market my app using paper flyers to the general public.

Hungry Horse is an iPhone app which collects and collates all the restaurant deals available to you in your local area. The focus of the app is very much On Demand so anytime of day you can

instantly see what deals are available now rather than having to sift through lots of information to find out what actually is available, Shakespeare explains. Location-based searching is definitely changing the way people shop.

And changing it fundamentally, points out Jason Bulger from bookarestaurant.comwhich offers real-time bookings, a smart-phone app and coupons.

If I were running a restaurant, I would want to make sure Im participating in the new technology revolution that is being pro-vided to small businesses right now, he says. Coupons are great, if you are comfortable promoting discount meals, as they drive traffic. Location-based services and the use of mobile technology, I believe, will be the next major frontier for consumer marketing. In the not-too-distant future, we will be talking about location-based services like we do about the internet now.

Technology simply changes the way businesses can reach consumers. The traditional flyer and/or ad in the local paper are absolutely still relevant. It just may not be the dominant way to reach your target demographic anymore.

I dont think the online marketing options are going to replace the restaurants traditional marketing channels. I think restaurants should be embracing and testing all of these new technologies to see what works for them and combine them with the traditional marketing channels to ensure they are reaching the broadest spectrum of potential diners possible.

One truism of online marketing which hasnt changed over the

marketingA slew of up-to-the-minute online services are fundamentally changing the way you can market your restaurant

words rob johnson

Mobile

Special report


past several years is it all starts with Google. And although you may not have registered it, Google has changed its services recently in ways that profoundly affect how people find your business.

A free listing on Google Maps makes it easy for customers to find you, and Google offers a service called Google Places to help you create your listing. When potential customers search maps for local information, they find your business: your address, hours of opera-tion, even photos of your storefront or products.

Google Place page search results tend to pop up at the top of any searches you do on Google. You dont even need your own website to get a result, since the Google Places page points cus-tomers towards your physical address.

Another key change has been the new spotlight function. Users can click on that icon beside their search results to get a preview of the page found, making it easier to quickly determine if thats what theyre looking for. Restaurants that have invested in interesting web sites are the winners from this, as the preview lets customers see theyve come directly to your site, rather than, say, an online review of your restaurant. Both these changes to Google searches have changed the playing field for anyone who has invested more in search engine optimisation (SEO) techniques than content.

Another technologically-driven change in marketing has been the rapid growth in daily deal or coupon companies. R&C maga-zine has covered the dangers of such offers in the past, but Jason Bulger points out that there is definitely a place for such instant

rewards in your marketing toolkit. From the day we started de-signing the bookarestaurant.com interface, we had always wanted to include the opportunity for restaurants to promote special offers, he explains. Some of the higher-end restaurants wont discount, but they do have a two-course set lunch they want to promote. Or they have a pre-theatre/early-bird offer that they want to communicate out. Bookarestaurant.com is simply the channel that helps them get the message out.

Where such offers become really powerful, says Bulger, is their combination with an iPhone appso a daily deal can be offered to someone searching for a table a few blocks away who may never have otherwise seen your restaurant.

Our iPhone application is designed to mirror the website functionality of searching for an available table anywhere, anytime, says Bulger. Obviously, the GPS functionality inside the iPhone also allows for a near me search to be done, which is pretty basic technology for those smartphone users.

But perhaps the greatest argument for the hi-tech approach to marketing is its accountability. In the past, half your flyers could have ended up blowing out of letterboxes, or stuffed behind a tree in the bush somewhere.

Now, as Hungry Horses Andrew Shakespeare points out, I am able to tell a restaurant how many people have searched for a deal within a five-kilometre radius of their venue over a period of time. That is pretty powerful information.


Your kitchen of the future can be pieced together from this years winners of the Kitchen Innovation awards at the NRA show in Chicago

Innovation


he National Restaurant Associations annual Kitchen Innovation awards are always a highly rated event. People from all over the globe attend to enter and see the latest products that could improve their kitchen and/or restaurant functionality as well as finding out what is new in the foodservice market.

The Kitchen Innovation products are designed to enable foodservice operations to run faster and more efficiently by increasing productivity, quality, safety, cost-efficiency and envi-ronmental sustainability. The ultimate result is for foodservice operators to deliver better customer service and the highest quality meals to their customers.

Our Kitchen Innovations award recipients contribute to the evolution of our industry, and help restaurant operators reduce costs while boosting profitability, says Craig Reed, convention chair for the NRA 2011 show in Chicago last month, and director of food and beverage at the Broadmoor Hotel.

Each of the judges has the hands-on experience and real-life expertise to recognize the tools that are truly going to have a substantial impact on the efficiency and success of a restaurants kitchen and ultimately the success of the restaurant itself.

Cambro Manufacturing won an award for the Camduction Complete Heat System. The hot meals delivery system charges 20 heat-retention bases in one unit, allowing for a base to be ready every 12 seconds with reliable temperature holding for 60 minutes, with drying base cart and transport cart.

The patented technology was developed in our German facility by Cambro engineers looking for a better way to help healthcare facilities with their needs for a reliable, durable and long-lasting heat retention product, says Felix Bazgan, senior marketing manager at Cambro Manufacturing.

The Camduction bases are inserted into charging slots in the Camduction charger. The charger can accommodate up to 20 bases at once. In a typical trayline setting, a heated base is ready every 12 seconds. The bases are heated to around 290F

(140C). The heating element is concentrated in the centre of the base so foodservice operators can handle it without gloves. A heated plate with food goes on top of the base ready to be de-livered. The heat from the base will get transferred to the plate and food over time to keep the food hot and fresh.

The Camduction system is primarily being sold to hospitals and long-term care facilities. The logic behind targeting those facilities is that they require a reliable system that provides consistent performance.

The components of the product, like the bases, have been tested to replicate years of use prior to launch. The entire sys-tem was tested in several facilities throughout the US for a few months prior to launch with great results.

The good news is that it may reach Australian shores sooner rather than later.

There is tremendous international potential for Camduc-tion, says Bazgan. We are focusing on North America for the launch but anticipate expanding to Europe and Asia very soon.

Getting the exhaust right in the kitchen is very important both for the food and the staff. Each requires the right temperature to work to their maximum capacity.

Keeping a kitchen clean is no simple task. Thats way Franke Foodservice Systems developed the EcoVent Exhaust Air Cleaneranother Kitchen Innovation award winner.

The device is the first cooking exhaust cleaner that introduces the grease and odour reducing effects of ultraviolet light into the airstream above the hood without placing any device directly

woRds: LouIs whIte

Technology

nationCambros Camduction Complete Heat System was a winner in the Kitchen Innovation awards this year.

in the duct. This results in a dramatic reduction in the need for filters and daily cleaning.

EcoVent works by using the UVc band of ultraviolet light to produce safe amounts of ozone, which has the proven ability to reduce odour and grease particles from exhaust air, says Greg Richards, vice-president/business development of Franke Foodservice Systems.

Unlike other UVc exhaust-air cleaning units, EcoVent does not place the ultraviolet lamps directly in the airstream. As a result, the usual cleaning and maintenance burdens are eliminated. So far, EcoVent is being used in a variety of test loca-tions mainly throughout Europe and of course the US. The product was released for sale to the general market in February of this year.

This product is ideal for any kitchen where odour reduction is an impor-tant operating requirement, Richards

says. EcoVent is designed to retrofit to almost any existing canopy-type or backshelf-type exhaust hood or directly to exhaust ductwork. Feedback has been positive. Operators notice reduced odour and grease build-up. Research shows that odour is reduced by 60 to 80 per cent depending on menu type, and grease build-up in ductwork is reduced by 40 to 60 per cent. Of course, any reduction in grease build-up improves cleaning and mainte-nance of ductwork, fans and roofs and reduces fire risk.

Cooking food simultaneously is no easy task. Trying to undertake that activity utilising different cooking methods throws another complication into the mix. Thats why the Mini Combi oven-steamer will be welcome to many kitchens. Another 2011 Kitchen Innovation award winnerthe Mini 2in1 Combi oven-steamer from the Cleveland Range, LLC, a Manitowoc Foodservice Companyhas two independent cooking chambers in a single body that requires limited space. It allows foods to be prepared simultaneously using different cooking methods.

Each cavity is large enough to hold six half-size sheet pans, three full-size steam table pans, or six 1/1 GN pans, says Jason Schreiner, project manager at Cleveland Range, LLC.

The unit has three methods of cooking. They are steam, hot air, and combination of steam and hot air combi.

The OES 6.10 mini 2in1 could be used in a number of different applicationsfor in-stance, quick service restaurants, airport/mall kiosks, places that offer 24-hour service like hotels and hospitals, and gas stations/convenience stores.

There you have it. Three leading kitchen innovation award winners that will endeavour to improve your performance in and out of the kitchen. So as soon as they land on these shores, youve got no excuse for not innovating straight away.


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or those hospitality industry professionals not lucky enough to be in control of a tropical destination venue, winter can be a slow and frugal time. With low rates of foot traffic and cold nights more suited to board games than bar tabs, your till can find itself sitting disturb-ingly idle. Some operators try and ride it out, but its better for morale to look to winters positives. And theres one thing that a cold winter night suits better than any tropical beacha solid bottle of red wine.

Indeed a good short list of winter wines and an emphasis on the sorts of foodstuff best suited to them can give you an edge over other operations, which can be handy when there are fewer migratory customers about. What wines are trendy, whats new, and yet also whats well-lovedthese are the wines you need to switch on to over the following three months.

Bold, in-your-face flavoursUnmissable Australian red winesmostly built on the bedrock that is shirazare increas-ingly held up to a posh sort of scorn by the ever-revolving door of local wine sophisticates. Too jammy, too heady, too oaky do all the pinot sniffers scream. Yet to a lot of occasional wine drinkers, who like red wine that fights back a little, such bolder beverages are just the ticket, particularly when it is 10 degrees centigrade outside.

Makers of such wines have also had a keen weather eye on trends. Theyve in many cases adapted accordingly. Oak isnt as dominating as it used to be. And shiraz from regions like

factorA winter wine list should be a reflection of something trendy, something new, something well-lovedand lots of reds

Chill

the Barossa, McLaren Vale and Rutherglen are demonstrating this new approach. There are plenty of winemakers that have always looked to more balanced flavours anyway, and shiraz and other Rhone varieties and blends from Mr. Riggs in McLaren Vale, Hewitson in the Barossa, or either Stanton & Killeen or Campbells in Victorias North-East quickly find a happy home on your wine list. I dont think Ive even met a customer who hasnt liked Campbells Bobbie Burns Shiraz, for instance (2009, $16.50LUC). Or you could amp up the volume even more with some Rutherglen durif, which is a red grape variety that makes shiraz look like a hairdresser.

words: Ben canaider


Drinks

The wines of Southern Italy: trendier than a deconstructed Wagyu burger.

Stanton & Killeen Durif 2008 ($20LUC) or neighbouring All Saints Durif 2008 ($15LUC) would do the trick. Great with dark, rich stews or pies.

Atypical MediterraneansSpeaking of durif, alternative grape varieties from the olde worlde are more trendy than Deconstructed Wagyu Hamburg-ers at the moment. Such red varieties from southern Italy, like nero davola, sagrantino, and aglianico are not only impressing drinkers with their savoury and earthy flavours, but they are also starting to impress Australian grape growers, thanks to the fact that most of these alternative varieties hang on to more natural acid in warm wine regions than our more conventional grape varieties do. Such red varieties need hand selling and some advertising via the wine list, with brief descriptions.

Importers such as Trembath & Taylor or Arquilla both offer a small but good range of these red varieties, but dont overlook some locally made interpretations. Chalmers in the Murray Darling region run both a vine nursery and their own wine brand, featuring many of these alternative varieties. LUCs are between $11 and $16.

Spains tempranillo is certainly a winter must-have, particular-ly as it is now breaching that gap between a weirdo wine-nerds red and a gastro-bore architects essential accessory. There are good examples of this wine at varying price points from Australias leading importer, The Spanish Acquisition. Locally made examples are also impressing, such as Pondalowies MT Tempranillo 2008 ($18LUC) or West Cape Howe Tempranillo 2009 ($13LUC). And tempranillo is tapas country, too, so you

can also clean up on the food margins.

CabernetWinter is also a time to remind drinkers of the delights of this red, either straight up or in a blend with merlot. Coonawarra and Margaret River combine both the cachet and the wine qual-ity, and there are more affordable examples about. From Marga-ret River try Fraser Gallup Cabernet Merlot 2009 ($14LUC), or Hay Shed Hill Cabernet Merlot 2009 ($13LUC). Both have fan-tastic QPR (quality price rapport). From Coonawarra look out for Balnaves The Blend 2009 ($13LUC), which contains a few Bordeaux standards, such as cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and cabernet franc. Or you could go a little off piste and list Hollick Hollaia 2006 ($14LUC), which is a cheeky play on the super Tuscan blends of sangiovese and cabernet sauvignon. The good thing about all of these wines is that they have structure and are yet approachable. Id still decant them at table, however, to increase the restaurant-as-theatre routine.

And dont forget the whitesContinue to push the new-look Australian chardonnays. With their leaner and more subtle flavour profiles they suit winter sea-food superbly wellthink freshly shucked oysters, with different fusion dressings. Finally, winter is also a good time for the more viscous textures of pinot gris. New Zealand styles of this variety excel; producers such as Kumeu River, Mt Difficulty, Seresin Estate or Quartz Reef make high quality wines that drink more quickly than pinot gris really ought, but LUCshovering around the $20 markmight slow that consumption speed down


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Bread and butter. The icing on the cake.

hen Charlie [Sirianos, co-owner] and I first saw the space in 1996, it had been unoccupied for three years. Its last incar-nation had been as a dodgy Indian restaurant that had been closed by the authorities. I had never seen such a mess. The cast-iron columns had seven layers of oil paint on them. There were old air-conditioners in the windows and huge rat holes in the floorboards. The only piece of equipment was an ancient tandoori oven.

But we could still see the beauty of the room. It was originally a dining room for a hotel built in 1892. The building is called Stalbridge Chambers and at one time it was the highest building in Melbourne. So we began restoring this grand old dining room. There are 16-foot ceilings, run-ning plaster cornices, arches and cast-iron columns. The proportions of the room are fantastic. People enter through a small doorwaywhere we have retained the original black-and-white marble tilesthen step onto the wooden floor as the space opens up to reveal a beautiful room with two large chandeliers and huge mirrors.

We had the chandeliers specially made and they suit the room perfectly. They look like they have been there forever. We also have wall uplights and rosette lighting on top of the columns.

During the day, the sunlight bounces off the building next door which gives a great glow inside. By the end of the night, the chandeliers are turned all the way down so theres just a soft glow from the wall lights. Lighting is paramount and everything is on dimmers.

We took the advice of Amanda Lynn [interior designer, 0438 952 141] when it came to colours. Shes helped us with simple things like using clean white on the ceilings and darker colours at floor level to ground the place.

While all the crockery and cutlery is brand new, we found that second-hand tables and chairs really suited the space. We dress them up with new linen but also use a lot of antique pieces like sugar bowls and jugs. The room was built in 1892 and to keep that feel in place we go to a lot of auction houses such as Leonard Joel [www.leonardjoel.com.au]. We found the large oak fireplace and some beautiful lamps at auction.

One new item is the long timber serving bar. It has a top made from 330mm-wide planks of Oregon timber and is about six metres long. Its a really warm, beautiful piece with only

When co-owner Paul Lumicisi found a dilapidated hotel dining room in a forgotten area of Melbourne, he decided to revitalise this 120-year-old beauty

RestaurantSyracuse

one knot in it. The kitchen would be one of the smallest in Melbourne. Originally the hotel had an offsite kitchen accessed by an elevator. Our kitchen is in the spot where the elevator used to be. Its semi-open and can be chal-lenging for the chefs because they have to design a menu that pumps out interesting food very quickly from quite a small space.

We are a good solid restau-rant. Were not top-end and were not a cafe. Ive been working here for 15 years and I still dont get bored. Syracuse is such a beautifully propor-tioned room, filled with inter-esting nooks and crannies.

Syracuse Restaurant23 Bank PlaceMelbourne VICTel: (03) 9670 1777W: www.syracuse

restarant.com.au

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