Kurtis Bosley: Bartender to Bar Owner

FROM BARTENDER TO BAR OWNER

WORDS ° Kurtis Bosley

The dream of owning a bar was never far from thought as I navigated my way into the hospitality industry. Taking a glimpse into that world as a younger bartender and meeting guys like Jared Merlino, Stefano Catino, Greg Sanderson and Huw Griffiths, was always something that propelled my thirst for knowledge on how they got to do, what so many of us dream of.

This article isn’t to list the complications and frustrations of opening your first bar but instead highlight some of the ‘fine print’ details I wish I had known before taking on my biggest challenge to date. I am the sole owner of Corretto, a restaurant and bar in Dee Why on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Having opened the venue without any partners or financial backing, I never had the luxury of being able to have slow weeks or growing pains as I opened the doors and prayed people made their way into the venue.

Corretto Dee Why is a seasonal venue on the beach that is renowned for turning operators over quicker than most in the country. With sky-high rent, quiet low seasons and a fickle mix of both tourist and hyper-localised crowds, your offering needs to be able to cater to an eclectic crowd while being competitive with the other 30 operators on the strip.

My first key point in opening your venue is research who lives in the immediate area. These people will become your regular clientele. I was too focused on venue style rather

Corretto Dee Why

than what the area was missing. This was a mistake. It’s the regular guests who will get you out of the woods during the bad weather.

I’ll never forget the first few months. I was trying to find my feet as a sole owner-operator that involved marketing for the venue, a lot of the handy-man work, working full days on the floor and talking to the guests about what they would like to see from us and the venue moving forward. Getting into this position means you must be ready for 16-18 hours of work a day for the first few months at the very least. In this role, you undertake a variety of positions including janitor, cleaner, host, bartender, chef, dishy and general handy-man as you need to hold your money tight as we work on absolutely minimal budgets and profit percentages.

My second key point is budget. I invested months in my initial budget and thought I had it all figured out. The budget I had set was miles out from what it has now become with a few pretty scary moments not accounted for. In the first few weeks where you’ll want to buy the best cocktail equipment, plates and fancy tech stuff, make sure you’ve got enough money to pay your energy, gas and staff superannuation. I hadn’t accounted for the cost of these three, and it almost sent me broke in the first few months putting me on my back foot. Setting aside an additional 20 per cent of your opening budget for these unforeseen issues is vital to ensure the survival of your venue during this fragile opening state. Also, make sure you have a bookkeeper to keep on top of everything.

Staff costs have changed dramatically over the last ten years, and it’s more important than ever to invest in good Human Resources for your venue to make sure you’re compliant with up to date industry requirements. Having a venue that is table service only, our budget allowed 35 per cent wage cost, including taxes (superannuation), 10 per cent higher than what I originally had planned before taking over. As an owner-operator, you need to account for your own hours as you slowly free up hours for staff to take on more. The additional cost of this needs to be budgeted, or you’ll get a shock once these costs begin to hurt your budget.

Looking back at the process of opening the venue, I was lucky to have built up a strong network of people within the industry that were more than delighted to lend a helping hand. I am forever grateful to those who have been there to support me continuously with valuable advice, physical help, or lending an understanding ear. If you’re opening a venue, be sure you have a strong support network. You cannot do this on your own!

CORRETTO DEE WHY

1/ 24 The Strand, Dee Why, NSW T: (02) 99812061 W: correttodeewhy.com

Opening Hours:

Tuesday-Friday: 7:30am-late Saturday: 7:30am-12am Sunday: 7:30am-10pm