COVER STORY – Bella Venezia Italian Restaurant

PASSION FEATURE – The Inkspot Printers, See Restaurant, Savvy Business Sales

BEAUTIFUL VENICE

Todd and Kristine Young share their passion for their Restaurant, Bella Venezia, where customers are offered the tastiest Italian food, award winning wine, gorgeous surroundings, and sensational service.

Words By BEK MUGRIDGE

Cover image and this image by Empire Photography

You don’t need a passport to travel through the portal to Italian dining excellence. Just get to 95 Mooloolaba Esplanade on the Sunshine Coast that is ‘Bella Venezia’ – ‘Beautiful Venice’. The timeless elegance of classic and classy venetian style decor transports its customers to Italy, then takes them through an unforgettable culinary experience.

The exquisite artistry of the restaurant’s success is no accident – it is the vision of husband and wife team Todd and Kristine Young, and for them, it is most definitely a work of passion.

“I think there is an element of hunger and will to succeed that comes with passion,” Todd says.

“We talk about getting everything right. The food has to be right; the service has to be right. We have to get the lighting right, the temperature. Things that some may not even think about, we think of on an hourly basis.”

This passion and attention to detail has led to Bella Venezia's many successes, including their International, Multi Award Winning Wine List. These awards include - The prestigious 2 Glass Rating by Wine Spectator Magazine in New York; A 3 Glass Rating by Gourmet Traveller Australian Wine List of the Year Awards (Top 3 Finalist Best Wine List by the Glass Australia, and Best Overall Wine List, Queensland; Number One Restaurant in Australia 2021 on Trip

Advisor; 2022 World of Wine Best Regional Wine List - Italian Wines in Australasia; And most recently, the Restaurant and Catering Awards for Excellence 2022 South East Queensland Italian Formal Category. “You are talking about a business here in Mooloolaba that is on the centre stage for best wine list both nationally and internationally,” Todd says. “The Wine Spectator is the biggest industry award on the planet… the glass ratings depend on the calibre of your wine list. We are a Two Glass rating and that is the maximum rating for our list size. We are very happy. “I think there “It takes a lot of practice and a lot of time to get to that. We’ve got a lot of good people is an element and a lot of good systems in place. In our wine program we have wine Sommeliers on the of hunger and floor, we have over 425 different labels on our list and over 50 by the glass.” will to succeed Todd’s passion is wine and as the Wine that comes with Director he works carefully with his Restaurant Manager and Head Sommelier passion.” Ben Watson to create the impressive awardwinning list the customers have come to love. Todd says expert staff like Ben are critical to a well-functioning business. “He will arrange wine tastings with suppliers and shortlist wines and then bring them to me and together we talk about whether the wines will make the list or not. We change the list every two weeks, so it is a full-time job in itself,” Todd says.

With so much choice, it is important to Todd that all customers have the opportunity to be guided in their wine choice, should they wish to be.

“We have expert people working the floor, talking about wine and educating the consumer on the best matched wine for their liking and palate, to really enhance their Bella Venezia experience. The wine list is so big it can be daunting for the average person and that’s why we have the right people here ready to guide them through it.,” he says.

The attention to detail does not stop there, Bella Venezia also has different glasses for different wines and six types of glasses just for different champagnes.

Todd and Kristine are quick to say they wouldn’t be where they are without their customers, staff and the Sunshine Coast community. They received a lot of support during Covid from the community and it really helped them get through it. Add to that their impressive employee retention and it speaks volumes for their business culture.

“Our employee count fluctuates between 50 and 55 at any one time, depending on the season. Most of our employees have been with us for years - we have casuals who have been here over 14 years", Todd says.

They even still have their original delivery driver, Joseph, from when they first launched their delivery services in 2008. Bringing together the right staff is key.

“Build a team, build a culture, so that everyone is focused on creating that experience you want your business to be,” Todd says.

“We develop strategies and systems, and everyone follows them religiously. We are open 364 days a year, only closing on Christmas Day so it is a ‘game on’ situation seven days, seven nights a week. It is a tough gig, hospitality. And we have the most experienced industry professionals working for us. They are the highest professionals in their fields. They are the most incredible and professional team.”

And it is the immersive experience of Bella Venezia that keeps the customers coming back.

“We want people to walk away from here having had the best experience of their life. Something they will always remember and cherish,” Kristine says.

“We wanted to build something here on the Sunshine Coast which enables the community to come to and feel a European sense of elegance without having to go overseas. The hidden gem that has been here for just short of 40 years.”

Bella Venezia originally was founded and opened its doors in 1983.

“A close friend of mine, Frank Gentile, his mother and her husband started the business and I came up to manage the business for him in 2003. In 2005 I ended up purchasing the business from him.,” Todd says.

In 20 years, Todd still has the same strong passion for the business that he always did.

“We have been through some really tough times, and we have overcome them all. We have overcome them because we have that belief in the business and that vision that it was going to be successful,” Todd says.

“I always give advice to my thirteen-year-old son that everyone is going to have losses. You just have to be consistent and eventually, you’ll be successful.”

Bella Venezia is a passion Todd shares with wife Kristine, whose career in marketing brought exceptional talent and drive to the business, playing a crucial role in its development and success. They met at an event and by a chance of fate, Todd was living just 50m from Kristine’s parents.

“It was all the stars aligned,” Kristine says.

“I met him and thought, ‘I feel like I have known you my whole life’. It was like meeting myself. He is my perfect match. He is everything I could want in a person.”

“Kristine and I met at one of my older venues in 2014. I had a venue launch and I introduced myself, it just happened from there,” Todd says.

“Kristine just has this energy – even in the darkest moments she always manages to find a positive side of things. And I think that is really important in any sort of relationship, having that good energy.”

“We are an incredible formula, so much stronger together,” says Kristine.

Success leads to expansion, with Bella Venezia opening up a dedicated prep kitchen next door.

“This allows our team of chefs to be making all our handmade pastas, pastries, desserts, salamis and small goods. It also increases production and allows us to do more things,” Todd says.

Bella Venezia is developing concepts for highly anticipated cooking classes, something customers have been passionately wanting to try.

Bella Venezia’s menu is like a great book you never want to put down. Their chefs put their hearts and souls into each and every dish and it’s evident from the very first taste. Paddock to plate and port to plate ingredients are complimented by only the freshest-locally-grown produce, and premium quality imported Italian ingredient, and the result is pure magic. f www.bellavenezia.com.au