AUSTRALIAN
AUSTRALIA’S NATIONAL HOTEL INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
Vol. 37 No. 8 - October 2020
LIVE AT YOUR VENUE IN THIS ISSUE: COVID-SAFE EVENTS | LIVE SPORT | COCKTAILS
OCTOBER FES LIVE AT YOUR VENUE
EVERY GAME BEFORE THE GRAND FINAL LIVE
EVERY GAME BEFORE THE GRAND FINAL LIVE
EVERY FINALS GAME LIVE
Event availability correct at time of publishing and may be subject to change. Available for Foxtel Business subscribers only. Foxtel marks are used under licence by Foxtel Management Pty Ltd. BUS0464
ST OF SPORT It’s one of the biggest months of sport in 2020. Both NRL and AFL Finals, Bathurst 1000, NBA Finals, NFL, weekly UFC, and so much more. All at the same time.
In a month bursting with first-class premium sport, every moment counts. And when it comes to live sport at your venue, you’ll never miss a moment on Foxtel.
Live NFL every Friday, Monday and Tuesday lunchtime
Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 Live with no ad-breaks during racing
Every day of Roland-Garros live on Fox Sports
Live UFC every Sunday in October
Join Foxtel Business today Call 1300 804 981 or visit foxtel.com.au/venues
CONTENTS & ED’S NOTE WE ENCOURAGE RESPONSIBLE DRINKING Get the facts DrinkWise.org.au
PUBLISHED BY: Food and Beverage Media Pty Ltd 41 Bridge Road GLEBE NSW Australia 2037 Tel: 02 9660 2113 Fax: 02 9660 4419 PUBLISHER: Paul Wootton
Contents
P10
SPECIAL FEATURES
REGULARS
10 Live sport: Get your venue ready for
4 News: What’s happening in pubs
a record-breaking month of crowdpleasing fixtures. 14 Outdoor events: Comiskey Hotels Ed’s Pick
is pulling off successful COVIDSafe events.
across Australia. 22 Design & Build: Iris Capital has taken on
an icon with Hotel Steyne. 26 Tales from the Top: Creating a
personalised experience and repeat
18 Drinks: Cocktails you can’t make at
business through data.
home are being used as driver of patronage in venue.
GENERAL MANAGER SALES – LIQUOR & HOSPITALITY GROUP: Shane T. Williams GROUP ART DIRECTOR – LIQUOR AND HOSPITALITY: Kea Thorburn kthorburn@intermedia.com.au GRAPHIC DESIGN: Ryan Vizcarra ryanv@intermedia.com.au
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the one your favourite bartender makes you.
ease, there’s an initial
And you certainly can’t enjoy a live music act
onslaught of patrons
or other forms of entertainment at home like
wanting to hit up their
you can at the pub. It’s more important than
favourite pub after
ever to pay attention to getting these offerings
months of being away.
right, so that more patrons return to your pub, and often. You’ll find features on all of these streams
and the different behaviours that have been
in this issue, and how different operators are
ingrained over the past six months. This is
making them work for them. Happy reading!
where different streams of operation kick in – the things that can’t be replicated at home,
Vanessa Cavasinni
that a patron can only really enjoy at a pub.
P: 02 8586 6201
Yes, live sport can be enjoyed at home, but
E: vcavasinni@intermedia.com.au
it is very difficult to capture the same kind of atmosphere you get from groups of people cheering on teams at their local. You can
‣ Pub Dining
attempt to make your favourite cocktail at
‣ Bar, Beer and Cellar
home, but it’s never going to be as good as
‣ Cider
4 | Australian Hotelier
NATIONAL SALES MANAGER: Jason Wild Tel: 02 8586 6213 jwild@intermedia.com.au
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
As restrictions start to
to counter the public’s wariness of crowds
JOURNALIST: Brydie Allen ballen@intermedia.com.au
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Editor’s Note But after that first time back, venues still need
EDITOR: Vanessa Cavasinni vcavasinni@intermedia.com.au
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TAG
In the
news
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN PUBS ACROSS AUSTRALIA
Imperial Hotel, Bourke Street
CALLS FOR VICTORIA’S ROADMAP TO BE REVISED
“The debt-cliff of Victoria’s 1,450 pubs and hotels cannot
AS THE number of people testing positive for COVID-19 in
be walked away from. It continues to mount daily, along with
Victoria continues to fall, the Andrews’ Government is facing calls
anxiety and mental pressures.”
to bring forward its timeframes for easing restrictions in the state. The Australian Hotels Association Victoria’s President David Canny said the sharp reduction in COVID cases warranted greater flexibility in the Government’s Hospitality Industry Restart Guidelines. “Regional Victoria is leading the way and country pubs should be allowed to increase their patron capacities for indoor areas,” Canny said. “Ten people for two indoor spaces should be increased to 20
Australian Venue Co (AVC), is also calling on the Government to re-examine its policy regarding outdoor spaces, when metropolitan areas move into step three. AVC said it has started discussions with the innovative team at City of Melbourne about bringing dining spaces and socially safe beer garden pop-ups to rooftop parking lots, riverside terraces, iconic laneways and major CBD streets. However, with news of blanket capacity restrictions for outdoor dining in regional Victoria this has cast doubt over the
people per enclosed space. This will pave the way for the safe
viability of these plans if metropolitan Melbourne is to follow the
opening of metro venues.”
same capacity limitations.
The roadmap to recovery stipulates venues will be allowed
CEO Paul Waterson said a crucial element to making the
to reopen, with restrictions, under the third step. This is now
Government outdoor dining plan successful will be the ability to
in place for regional Victoria, but metropolitan venues are still
have multiple outdoor spaces activated with capped capacity.
facing closure until late October. AHA Vic is asking the government to revise its COVID
“Effectively the Government announced venues can have one outdoor space of 50 people per venue in regional Victoria. Such
roadmap modelling, so there is a better balance between lives
a restriction would fundamentally change the ability to activate
affected and livelihoods lost.
the city at scale.
“Our processes and procedures make us COVID Safe to
“After what has undeniably been the most challenging of
open. We are, and have always been, strongly committed to the
times, to be able to get our staff back to work and do what we
health and safety of our patrons and staff. We want to reassure
do best – serve Melbourne, is exciting. However, based on the
Government that this is paramount in our operations. But we
current regional areas re-opening restrictions, Melbourne venues
need to be able to operate in a financially viable way, much like
will need to be allowed increased, yet socially safe, capacities
others in the retail sector,” stated Canny.
across multiple outdoor areas to make the concept viable.
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6 | Australian Hotelier
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NEWS
Sporting Globe x 4 Pines Brew Pub will feature 20 taps, including special 4 Pines small batch beers brewed on site. It also has the biggest beer garden in the Darling Harbour precinct, and has a capacity for 850 patrons. It is the first Sporting Globe location in Sydney, with the brand having 15 venues across other states. “The Sporting Globe has grown significantly since it launched in Geelong
The Sporting Globe and 4 Pines team up on Sydney venue
ten years ago, with established venues in Queensland, Victoria and Western
SIGNATURE HOSPITALITY Group –
Brewing House on King St Wharf.
Australia, Sydney was a natural next
owners of The Sporting Globe brand
Signature Hospitality Group purchased the
step, and something the team and I have
– and 4 Pines have announced they are
site off Red Rock Leisure at the start of the
been working towards for a long time,”
collaborating on Australia’s first sports
year for $20m.
stated Sinclair.
bar and brewpub concept in Sydney’s Darling Harbour precinct. The two businesses are set to
The venue will continue to be owned
The new The Sporting Globe x 4 Pines
and operated by Signature Hospitality
Brewpub venue will receive a multi-
Group, but the microbrewery portion of
million-dollar refurbishment, which will
collaborate on a new Sporting Globe
the venue will be a collaboration with
see the location close this month and
concept at the site of the All Hands
award-winning brewery 4 Pines. The
reopen by December 2020.
October 2020 | 7
NEWS
New customer capture gives Redcape a record quarter IN ITS FY20 financial results released on 19 August 2020, Redcape reported an Operating EBITDA for July 2020
Throughout the late March shutdown
liquor streams it has seen real growth.
above that of July 2019. Positive trading
period and beyond, Redcape has been
One of the pivot strategies that Brady
has continued and the first quarter of
engaging with it’s 140,000+ customer
said has been most successful in driving
FY21 will deliver an Operating forecast
database digitally, and one strategy was to
that growth is responding to customer
EBITDA of $24 million, ahead of the
learn from customer sentiment via regular
sentiment for the social impact of these
equivalent period in FY20 ($19.5 milion)
survey. Early on 1500 customers agreed
community pubs.
– even if JobKeeper were excluded.
to be surveyed throughout the shutdown
Redcape is forecast to receive $4 million
period as to what they were after from
emerged is that we’ve invested a lot of
in JobKeeper payments in respect to Q1
their local pubs upon reopening.
money into our customer management
FY21. The group will not be eligible for any further JobKeeper payments. Given the current trading restrictions
“That allowed us to regularly ask those
“One of the great things that has
platform. We’ve relaunched our
questions, get some excellent answers
communities public program, which
and be able to pivot our business around
means that every transaction now
venues are facing, Redcape’s CEO Dan
where customer sentiment and values
at a Redcape hotel has a community
Brady attributes the extraordinary news
were going. That’s meant that on the
contribution to it.”
down to not only the retention of new
reopen we’ve been able to continue to
customers, but the capture of new ones.
stay connected to those customers, and
points’ are accumulated through every
The acquisition of new customers has
not just win back our old customers but
customer transaction, which is ultimately
been a real focus for the group since the
really grow the pie. So we’re seeing growth
converted to a financial contribution from
beginning of the shutdown.
in all of our channels,” explained Brady.
Redcape to local organisations that have
“We’re putting it down to a real focus
Through the new program ‘pledge
While trading restrictions have been
been nominated by that venue’s patrons.
on acquiring new customers. We’ve been
felt in Redcape’s larger F&B offerings,
“We think this is the most tangible and
getting back the customers we had before,
Brady notes that across the group’s
common-sense approach to social impact
but also acquiring new customers.”
accommodation, gaming and retail
that is so meaningful to our customers.”
Gaming’s digital evolution
He said: “I think the beauty of Utopia
The gaming industry and its associated
we are now, with notes accepted in
is that they’re really well positioned for
legislation is becoming increasingly
gaming machines and technology that
that digital transformation if and when it
influenced by technology. One of the
allows you to transfer credits via tickets
does happen.”
big questions for hotels is how this
and cards between gaming machines.”
digital revolution will impact their gaming offerings.
“The cash component of the gaming
Dawson described the “really well rounded digital solution” that the group
market and of gaming systems is far from
already has, with systems and devices that
dead and it will always be an offering
take care of payment transactions and
of sales at Utopia Gaming Systems, said
as far as a gaming room is concerned,
cash redemption.
although the industry is evolving, it’s not
but there’s absolutely no doubt that
yet ready to become fully digital.
ultimately a move to digital is something
to become more advanced in their
that will occur, reliant on a legislation
product, but also in the look and feel of
becoming an increasingly popular choice,
change. It’s not something that can just be
hotels. A lot of them are investing heavily
it pays to be prepared for a digital future.
implemented on a whim.”
in their venues externally and internally
Scott Dawson, recently appointed head
However, with cashless payments
Dawson notes that legislation will drive the industry towards digital solutions too.
With over twenty years experience
“The offerings from hotels are starting
and a lot of that also goes into the gaming
in gaming and an understanding of
floor, to make sure that they’re putting
“The changes started with the old,
where future opportunities lie, Dawson
the best product on the floor, but also
putting coins into a slot machine and
joined Utopia because of how he saw it
ensuring they have the best system that
pulling a handle, right through to where
positioned for this transformation.
runs alongside their gaming machines.”
8 | Australian Hotelier
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LIVE SPORT
WingHAĂœS Sydney. Image taken pre-COVID.
A
blockbuster
month of sport As the world of live sport makes up for lost time, the next month is jam-packed with sport that venues can capitalise on.
10 | Australian Hotelier
LIVE SPORT
2020 HAS seen an upheaval in many
supported its venue partners accordingly.
aspects of our lives, and one of those
Not only did it suspend fees during the
has been the prolonged suspension of
shutdown, it also continued not to charge
professional sport. But with many leagues
during May and June as pubs reopened.
around the world back under way and
Reduced rates were introduced after June
making up for lost time, October – and
on a state-by-state basis, with fees once
the first half of November – is set to bring
more suspended for Victoria during its
about a record number of broadcasted
second shutdown.
sports. It’s a win for sports lovers, and for the venues that host them. “The long break of no sport from March to June meant that from July to November we are now seeing an unprecedented
“We have also introduced discounted PPV events in a bid to help pubs that are trading to attract customers back to their venues,” stated Bohlsen. While everyone expected an initial
amount of live sport on Foxtel. Never
bounce back of customers as restrictions
have we seen the AFL, NRL and NBA all
were lifted and people could head back
play finals at the same time – plus the
to their beloved local, sports have been
addition of Bathurst 1000 which usually
a bigger driver of patronage than many
runs post AFL and NRL seasons,” states
venues were expecting.
Greg Bohlsen, national manger – licensed venues for Foxtel Business. There’s also UFC every Sunday and
As a leading sports venue in Perth, Inglewood Hotel has always had a sportsloving clientele, but post-COVID it has
daily American sports including NFL, MLB
seen an even more fervent return of
and NHL. Other key highlights include
patrons for a sporting experience.
world class tournaments including the
“Since reopening we have seen more
French Open tennis, Indian Premier
patrons than pre-COVID over all areas.
League and TAB’s The Everest. It’s a huge
We have been proactive in welcoming
month for venues to get on board with.
everyone back and catering for all groups,
“We have never before seen such a frenetic period of major live sporting events occurring in such a short period
sport included,” stares general manager Martin Lawley. With over 20 HD screens plus a 3m
of time,” explains Patrick Galloway, co-
projector in venue, Lawley said Inglewood
founder of Sportsyear.
Hotel is geared up to take on this huge
“After The Everest there is a weekend consisting of the AFL and NRL Grand Final, the Cox Plate, a huge UFC fight and then fans will turn their attention to a
month of sport. “We have an ‘if it’s on, it’s on’ approach and cater to everyone.” At Rockpool Dining Group’s two sports-
three-game Origin series in November.
focused WingHAÜS venues in Brisbane and
“Coupled with the likes of baseball’s
Sydney, patronage has also increased since
World Series, Premier League soccer and the NFL season in the United States, it’s a
the end of lockdown, at all times of day. “With the AFL showing more midweek
period of wall-to-wall sport that all fans
games and American sports such as NBA,
will embrace.”
NFL, NHL and MLB playing during the
The deluge after the drought
day we see a full day of live sport running into the evening, with plenty of interest
As a driver of traffic into venues, the loss
from our guests,” states group food and
of sport was felt in pubs as they began
beverage director John Sullivan.
to reopen after the 23 March shutdown.
The venues are proving so popular, that
It was quite a loss for venues, and like
by mid-September both the Brisbane and
supplier partners in other revenue
Sydney branches were almost sold out for
streams, Foxtel Business ensured that it
the upcoming AFL and NRL grand finals.
October 2020 | 11
LIVE SPORT
Live and loud There are plenty of activations and marketing tools to attract people to a venue to watch a certain match – everything from F&B specials, competitions, calls-to-action on social media and more - but operators have found that the most appealing feature a venue can promote is also one of the simplest: clear messaging that a match will be screened live with sound, and that you have the AV equipment for the ultimate viewing experience. “We’ve spoken to a lot of pub-goers who will try to find out if the game they want to watch will be played with sound, and if they can’t work that out easily enough, then they will stay at home,” states Galloway.
Sullivan says the right tech is “the most important factor” in the success of both WingHAÜS venues,
Sportsyear surveyed sports fans in 2019, and
and that includes the capability of switching games
just under half cited atmosphere as the key driver
and TVs around at the flick of a button, to cater
of their match-day attendance at a pub with a large
cater for everyone. The venues also use Listen
emphasis on the size of the screen as well as the
Everywhere streaming wireless technology that
audibility of the sound. So for pubs serious about
allows guests to listen to any sport that is being
sport, the right AV equipment is crucial.
played in the venue through their phone, in case
“In terms of the best experience, have HD available on every screen, extra decoders for variety, dedicate an area and make sure the sound is turned up!” suggests Bohlsen. At Inglewood Hotel, the right screens and sound
their favourite team isn’t the one being screened on the main AV system. So while there is a record-setting amount of sports being broadcast in the near future, Galloway says it’s important for venue operators to make sure
tech is crucial to its reputation as the place to be to
that their viewing capabilities ensure that patrons
watch a live game.
are more likely to come to your venue rather than
“We continue to stay on top of the latest
TOP: Super Bowl celebrations at Inglewood Hotel earlier in the year.
someone else’s – or stay at home.
technology updating regularly. All of our TVs have
“I would urge Australian hospitality operators to
their own designated speakers with cinema quality
think long and hard about the live sport experience
surround sound, giving patrons an ‘at the game’
they can provide over the next few weeks, because
experience,” says Lawley.
a golden opportunity is at hand.”
Two massive sporting weekends Is your venue ready for two consecutive weekends this month absolutely packed with major sporting events? If you haven’t already, it’s time to put a strategy in place to cover one weekend of The Everest and Bathurst 1000, followed by another with the grand finals of both our footy codes and a major UFC bout.
DATE
SPORT
EVENT
BROADCAST
Saturday 17 October
Horse Racing
The Everest, 1,200m - WFA
7 or Sky Racing 1 (526)
Sunday 18 October
Car Race
Bathurst 1000 Race, Round 10
10 or Fox Sports (506 or 260HD)
Saturday 24 October
Baseball
MLB World Series Game 3
ESPN (508)
Saturday 24 October
Horse Racing
W.S. Cox Plate, 2,040m
7 or Sky Racing 1 (526)
Saturday 24 October
AFL
AFL Grand Final
7
Sunday 25 October
Baseball
World Series, Game 4
ESPN (508)
Sunday 25 October
UFC
UFC 254: Nurmagomedov vs. Gaethje
Main Event (521)
Sunday 25 October
NRL
NRL Grand Final
Nine
12 | Australian Hotelier
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Rebooting events Taking advantage of massive outdoor spaces, Comiskey Hotels has restarted its events program in a new, COVID-Safe manner.
Bonfire Night at Sandstone Point Hotel
14 | Australian Hotelier
THE OUTDOOR OPPORTUNITY
October 2020 | 15
THE OUTDOOR OPPORTUNITY The lighting of the two-storey bonfire is the main attraction at Bonfire Night
Countering negative perception Rob Comiskey’s advice to any operator who is thinking of restarting events, is to be prepared to counter some negative perception of the event. EVENTS HAVE always been big business for Comiskey Hotels. “It’s not treated as an auxiliary use,
“Be ready to defend yourself, because there’s people out there who will take it in a negative way and view it as unsafe, no matter how much prep you do, or thought you put into safety.”
it’s treated as a focus. It’s a whole
One attendee at Bonfire Night took a photo of the event at a very specific angle
department of our business. We’ve
to make it look more crowded than it was, then sent the photo to The Courier Mail
invested millions and millions of dollars
and Channel 9 News. But because Comiskey had drones taking footage of the
over the years into creating events, but
event and photography happening throughout its peak, he was able to counter the
also marketing and running them,” states
false narrative.
Comiskey Hotels director Rob Comiskey.
He also suggests working on a really conservative scale.
So much so, that the company owns a $2.4 million stagetruck that “folds out like a Meccano set” for concerts, and nearly $200,000 worth of cash tills. The group puts on an annual program of large-scale concerts, music festivals, rodeos and other family events at Eatons
“We’re not running events at one person per 4sqm. We’re running them at one person per 8 sqm, due to perception. And I just I don’t think you can do it properly at 4sqm. Especially when you’re talking about sitting down and eating and drinking – that makes it extremely hard. We could put 8000-9000 people in the area, but if we do that it’s too hard to control. So be conservative, allow for negative perception of the event, and be ready to defend yourself if that’s the case.”
Hill Hotel and Sandstone Point Hotel in Queensland’s Moreton Bay region.
be pulled off in a COVID-Safe manner.
and run with events that would work
With capacity restrictions around the one
within restrictions and a lesser volume of
in an events program, when they
person per 4sqm rule, Comiskey Hotels
people,” explains Comiskey.
disappeared thanks to COVID, it hurt the
decided to take advantage of its huge
group a lot.
plots of land.
With such a substantial investment
But with restrictions easing in
“We weren’t prepared to take a lot
They decided to test the waters with Bonfire Night – a family-friendly event that would be easier to crowd control
Queensland as community transmission
of risk. We weren’t prepared to go and
than a music festival. Bonfire Night has
is kept low, the team decided to give
spend millions of dollars on music line-
been running at Sandstone Point Hotel
events another go, to see if they could
ups, so we decided to lessen our risk
for the last four years with 9000 people
16 | Australian Hotelier
THE OUTDOOR OPPORTUNITY
in attendance. The night’s entertainment is all
previous years, for Comiskey it was about testing
about fire – think fire dancers, fireworks, fire shows
the waters and seeing what was possible.
that you would normally see in a stadium – but
“I wouldn’t say it was a massive success
is centred around the lighting of a two-storey
financially, but for us it was about engaging
bonfire. There is also a host of food vendors and a
with our customers and having a go and seeing
marshmallow roasting pit.
whether we can do one of these things sensibly.
Safety first This year the event would have to look a little
And it did – it gave us the confidence to go ahead moving forward.” The group now has a few different outdoor
different to ensure that the event was compliant
events scheduled for the rest of the year, including
with the current health restrictions. With enough
an Oyster Festival rodeo and a concert at
land to still host 9000 people for the event under
Sandstone Point Hotel; plus the famed New Year’s
the 4sqm rule, Comiskey decided to cap the event
Day Foam Party at Eatons Hill Hotel.
to 4500 people, to ensure that they could pull it
restrictions, the New Year’s Day party is going to
families to sit in, to ensure social distancing.
be the one to watch.
57 hand-sanitising stations
“We’re being cautious at the moment. We’re
all food vendors had to undergo COVID training.
reviewing it daily. Everything can change at the
Where the team knew people were likely to queue,
drop of a hat, so you just need to be really careful.
they marked out 1.5m distances to ensure that no
New Year’s Day is going to be a hard one, but
one stood too close to each other. Every one of
we’re monitoring it daily, because at that one we
the 4500 people in attendance had to have their
have between 9,000-10,000 people.
name recorded and their temperature checked on
13km of grid lines
As you can’t dance under the current
off safely. They also line-marked 12sqm areas for More than 50 sanitising stations were set up, and
Bonfire Night at a glance
32 security guards
Comiskey concedes that at the moment it’s
and police for
entry. External security and police were also on
too difficult to plan big events indoors under the
crowd control
hand to help with crowd control, and to ensure
current capacities, and that the group is using its
that guests complied with the state’s restriction
big open spaces to its advantage. And the way
that eating and drinking took place while seated.
tickets are selling, there is certainly an appetite
There were also numerous inspections from
for these events in a COVID-Safe manner after six
Queensland Health and OLGR throughout the day.
months of none at all.
“There was a lot of work that went into it. It
“People are looking to get out. They have an
was months and months of work. But we did
appetite to go out and do stuff, but understand
it successfully.”
that it’s going to be unique. You can’t just do what
While the event was not as profitable as in
Medic and isolation tent on site
you used to do.”
4500 people attended the event in compliance with capacity restrictions
October 2020 | 17
COCKTAILS
Harpoon Harry in Sydney’s CBD
Shaking things up As restrictions ease across the country, cocktail experiences have the potential to draw more guests back into your pub. Brydie Allen reports. THROUGHOUT THE COVID-19 pandemic,
to hold one person per four square metres
The Cauliflower Hotel, where the offering
consumers sure have missed going to the
and up to 300 guests total, cocktails
includes a rooftop cocktail bar called The
pub, and everything that encompasses.
have been found to be a huge drawcard
Forgotten Cask. Pippi Drew, who owns
for pubs. According to Charlie Walker,
the venue with husband Justin, said the
hit the town has made many consumers
bar manager at Hotel Harry’s public bar
consumer search for great experiences
value going out more than they did pre-
component Harpoon Harry, cocktails
has continued ever since restrictions
pandemic. So when they do go out, more
encourage more people to come out
began easing, whether that be in food
than ever they’re hungry for excitement
because they cater to the needs of the
or drink.
and for experiences they wouldn’t get
COVID-19 consumer.
Being in lockdown without the ability to
at home. A key opportunity for pubs to create
“If anything, cocktails are far more
“I think after lockdown, people definitely are excited,” Drew said.
important than before the lockdown. As
“Obviously if you’ve been locked up
these experiences can be found in
you can imagine our cocktail sales have
for a while, people like coming out and
cocktails. Much like how restaurants draw
had a steep increase post lockdown,”
being waited on while enjoying their
people with food they wouldn’t or couldn’t
Walker told Australian Hotelier.
favorite drinks.”
make at home, cocktails can help pubs
“COVID has people stressed
Looking at how Sydney venues are
draw more guests by offering something
constantly… Cocktails ooze good vibes
embracing the value of the cocktail and
different and unique.
and happiness and that’s what we want
its role in the recovery effort of 2020, the
now more than ever.”
importance of a well positioned cocktail
In Sydney, where at the time of writing restrictions have eased enough for venues
18 | Australian Hotelier
A boost in sales has also been noted at
offering becomes clear.
COCKTAILS
Tips from a distiller Carla Daunton, head distiller at Young Henry’s, gives her tips on making your gin selection more appealing for cocktail customers. “Gin being a bright, clean spirit with juniper and other botanicals
Bondi Beach Public Bar
working in harmony really lends itself to refreshing mixes and creativity
Cocktails to the core
“All through winter we were doing happy-
Cocktails are a core part of any elevated
hour-price cocktails and our cocktail sales
bar experience, but exactly where they
exploded so we haven’t looked back since,
sit in a venue’s offering is dependent on
we do thousands of cocktails all through the
a number of things – from the regulars,
week now.”
to the atmosphere, to how they perform.
Meanwhile at Harpoon Harry, cocktails
The multitude of successful but different
are also core, but for a different set of
approaches to cocktails can be seen even
reasons. Walker notes price and location,
when looking at the one city.
but also the experience as a key driver of
At Bondi Beach Public Bar, the staple status of cocktails has been recently
this position. “Cocktails are a huge part of the beverage
which really flow well with summer vibes,” Daunton explained. “Patrons are more savvy and more open to new experiences these days. I think showcasing independent, craft spirits really allows the bar to feature a range of innovative flavours that will intrigue the punter. Having a solid selection of good quality mixers really helps showcase the spirit as it’s meant to be and provide the customer with a truly enjoyable experience.
solidified because of their quality and
program we offer at Harry’s. For the
popularity, as general manager Dan
majority of our clientele, we are the venue
Clayton describes.
that is on the way home from the CBD. We
type gin which is bright, savoury,
are the venue you can go to at 1am and get
spicy, sweet with a lovely zesty finish.
a stiff drink for $10,” Walker said.
With the complex flavour profile,
“Cocktails are a hard staple for Public Bar, we were lucky enough to have one of the world’s best bartenders and operators
“Most of our clientele come from the
Matt Whiley train our guys all through
CBD. They have had a long day in the office,
summer with his Scout team and get their
their boss has given them a hard time, they
cocktail-making chops up to a world class
spent the whole day in meetings. At this
standard,” Clayton said.
point, our guests don’t want a schooner,
“Our Noble Cut is a new world
a number of flavour combinations really work as they can play on either the balance between all the components or highlight one flavour aspect to really shine.”
October 2020 | 19
COCKTAILS
“We saw that other venues were doing the standard Monday 4-6pm happy hours and we didn’t want to go down that road,” Clayton said. “We wanted all the locals here having the opportunity to get stuck into a Negroni session at 2pm on a Thursday if they wanted to or save it for a Saturday night. It really was a gift to the Bondi community
Tequila is trending
that was hard hit in lockdown.” There’s a similar style of thinking at
One spirit that seems to be blowing up in
Harpoon Harry, where Walker notes their
cocktails right now is tequila.
“killer idea” to replace a usual happy hour
Clayton said their biggest trending spirit is: “always Don Julio Tequila,
with discounted drinks after 8pm. Another key aspect that develops
a vodka soda or a wine. They want a
definitely has something to do with being
the cocktail experience is presentation.
chilled, salt-rimmed coupe filled with
near the water and keeping it light. Our
Wowing people not only with the taste of
Mexican holy water or one of Italy’s finest contributions to the bartending world (a Negroni). “People come to Harry’s to sit back, relax, unwind, vent, rant, laugh, love and enjoy. Cocktails encourage good energy
Margarita sales have been going nuts since we first reopened.” When Walker was asked about what’s trending, he said: “Tequila tequila tequila. Whether it’s a shot or a margarita, tequila takes gold.”
and so does Harpoon Harry’s.”
What’s in a list Once it’s clear where cocktails can fit into a pub’s offering, the next step is crafting a list that will capitalise on that positioning. At the Cauliflower Hotel, Drew said
the drink, but also with how it looks, will make them want to take a picture, order more and then return to do it all again another day. The Cauliflower Hotel has seen great success in this way with their ‘build your own gin & tonic’ option, available both
new different flavours and seasonal
upstairs and downstairs. Guests can
ingredients… we do twists on the classics
customise their drink with a range of
or come up with new ones altogether.”
garnishes and gins, and Drew said it gets
Seasonally changing lists are valuable because hotels can cater to what
heads turning. “People start seeing them coming
consumers are looking for when they go
across the bar, and they’ll be like, ‘Oh, I’d
they have a great opportunity to have two
out at different times of year, and thus
like one of those, what’s that, can I get it?’
types of cocktail lists with their downstairs
encourage repeat business.
and then we tend to see larger numbers of
public bar component and the rooftop cocktail bar. “Downstairs we felt that because
Crafting more than a cocktail
rounds coming in,” Drew said. “I think presentation is always key,
Besides the drink itself, there are some
whether it be the gin balloon glasses, or a
it’s a general public bar and it is more
other factors around the cocktail offering
nice cocktail or if you’re setting fire to it… I
‘pubby’ that it’s just good to have an
that can elevate its potential and create
definitely think it influences [purchases] to
offering of your basic classics, whether
experiences to draw people back to
some degree, for sure.”
it be a margarita or an aperol spritz or
the pub.
something,” Drew said.
Value for money pricing and specials is
Walker agreed that presentation is of the utmost importance because it sends
“Then upstairs… it’s more signature and
a quick way to any consumer’s heart, as
a message to the patrons and this is the
bespoke. Kenny, who is my bar manager,
Walker said: “Who doesn’t love seeing a
foundation for great experiences to be
he’s very into spirits and has amazing
cocktail that doesn’t cost $20?”
built on.
knowledge so he likes to mix things up
But price promotions aren’t just about
on a weekly basis or when he’s talking
the cost - Clayton notes how they can set
Instagram addict. Our glassware is
to clientele. He gets a feel for what they
venues apart as a destination and inspire
beautiful and allows us to send a message
like and depending on what we’ve got
consumers with more cocktail occasions.
with our cocktails that from purchasing
available, he can do bespoke cocktails.
During winter, Bondi Beach Public Bar
the drink to holding it in front of you at
did this through half price food and happy
your table, the integrity of the beverage
hour cocktails.
remains the same.”
“Otherwise we do signature seasonal cocktails, things that are on trend or
20 | Australian Hotelier
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Magics Sports Bar
Taking on an icon Iris Capital, new owners of the famed Hotel Steyne in Manly, are currently undertaking a comprehensive renovation of the Northern Beaches pub. WHEN IRIS Capital purchased Hotel Steyne on Manly’s
respects the heritage asset that it is. It obviously must talk to the
beachfront in mid-2019 for a price tag in excess of $60 million,
past while also representing the present and the future. It was
it did so knowing that the venue needed an overhaul. But not
incumbent on us to make sure that we nailed the right response for
just a run-of-the-mill refreshing of the venue, but the kind of
the asset itself.”
comprehensive project that would override piecemeal renovations of the past, restore and retain heritage aspects, and add a
Heritage matters
significant boutique accommodation offering to the building.
Iris Capital engaged Rachel Luchetti of Luchetti Krelle with a
“I don’ t think there’s a brick or a wall that’s not been touched
brief to create an integrated destination hotel that would serve
in the venue – top to bottom, door to door, front to back,” states
the greater Manly and Sydney community, as well as attract
Iris Capital CEO Sam Arnaout.
the eventual return of tourists. But this open brief was centred
One of the most beloved and renowned pubs in greater Sydney,
around the desire to restore and highlight the heritage aspects of
Arnaout said he and his team were very aware of the expectations
the hotel, taking cues from archival images of the venue from its
of locals and the greater community to pull off a renovation
earliest days in the 1930s.
that, while offering something new, also respected the history of the venue. “Naturally as the new custodians of the venue this time, we needed to ensure that the renovation is both sympathetic and
22 | Australian Hotelier
The first stage of the works was exclusively focused on restoration of the façade of the building, which is prominently situated on the corner of Manly’s The Corso, and directly opposite the beach.
DESIGN & BUILD
While heritage listed, and under a works order to repaint and maintain the brickwork, Iris Capital went
Beach Bar and Bistro, and Magics Sports Bar have all been overhauled,
recreated the original awning from
with the central courtyard used as the
the 1930s.
natural connector of all these spaces.
in the venue – top to bottom, door to door, front to back. Sam Arnaout, Iris Capital
side, so that you can walk into the
that for no other reason except that
venue off the beach, something that
the client was really passionate about
was not possible before. On the second level, the rooftop
because replacing an awning like that
has been divided into two zones, the
wasn’t necessary, it was by choice,
Gin Bar and another bar area to be
and it really does look incredible,”
used mainly for functions. And the pub
states Luchetti.
accommodation has been completely
Internally, the brief grew out of the
refitted and upgraded to offer 42
desire to retain the heritage aspect
ensuited boutique rooms, along with
of the Round Bar – the venue’s public
a ground floor café that also serves as
bar – while also adding some more
the hotel’s check-in area.
“[The Round Bar] is obviously a very
“It was about creating areas within the venue, and to ensure that when
important piece of that puzzle. It’s a
people came to Hotel Steyne, they
symbol that you don’t really see much
enjoyed not just one corner of the
in other hotels. The original heritage-
venue but they were able to move
tiled round bar is what locals love
into different areas and feel like there
about it, so to ensure that we respected
were multiple venues within it. If you
that was important. The brief pretty
came to the hotel over many visits, you
much started from that bar, and that
could frequent a new area each time,”
was about making sure that while we
says Arnaout.
protected its charm, character and
And with so many different areas
appeal, we wanted to ensure that
to frequent, Luchetti said it was
we brought in the modern attributes
important to ensure that patrons
that complemented the heritage,”
could navigate the venue as easily
explains Arnaout.
as possible.
Choose your own adventure
consolidate wayfinding.”
A pub with a massive footprint, there
“It’s such a vast venue, you need to
are many spaces throughout Hotel
Old and new patrons
Steyne. The new design retains all of
While the building itself was in need
those different spaces, but removes the
of repair and refreshing, another main
patchwork identities that abounded
reason for the overhaul was to attract
from many different renovations over
a broader clientele to the venue,
the years.
including more women and families.
“The biggest achievement is pulling
Miami art deco served as an inspiration for the new design
There are new doors on the esplanade
from the 30s and completely reinstated
modern touches.
a wall that’s not been touched
On the ground floor, the Round Bar,
the 1960s-era awning with one that
achieving that. That was really nice
I don’t think there’s a brick or
building,” explains Luchetti.
even further than that, replacing
“We went back to the old photos
The Beach Bar
there’s a unifying architecture to the
“The demographic that sat within
it all together from years and years of
the greater Manly area were probably
those piecemeal additions. There is
avoiding the venue, probably because
one narrative across the site now, but
of the way it presents itself. It appealed
there are these pockets of things that
itself to being more of a blokes’ pub,
are completely different concepts. So
than being a lifestyle venue that
October 2020 | 23
DESIGN & BUILD
And while refreshing the venue and making it attractive to more people, it was important that the hotel’s loyal regulars were not alienated or marginalised by the new design in the quest for new patrons. For example, regulars of Magics Sports Bar were worried that the area would become too ‘nice’ and would ruin their local watering hole. If anything, Luchetti says, the bones of Magics were made even grittier, but the furniture and screens were upgraded for a better experience. “It’s nice to be able to hand that over and get that confidence that you’re not ruining the watering hole, because it’s such The cafe and check-in point for the new boutique rooms
a big part of the locals’ daily lives. You don’t want them to feel like they can’t go to their local. It’s important that you make them feel comfortable, and that’s why a renovation doesn’t have to mean that it’s more slick.” And it seems that the preservation and highlighting of those heritage aspects of the pub has assured the locals that their beloved pub will not be unrecognisable, with Arnaout saying that early responses to the upgraded venue have been favourable. “The early feedback from locals has been very positive, and appreciative of the conservation of the heritage attributes of the pub. Reinstating and bringing back the charm of the heritage has been very
The venue has been made more family-friendly
well received.”
catered to all walks of life and was femalefriendly,” says Arnaout. As part of attracting new groups, it was important as part of the wayfinding to direct patrons to different areas of the pub through signage and other prompts. “The younger clientele might head up to the rooftop straight away, and then you might have more of the natural spillover from Magics into the Round Bar and the courtyard at that end. So there’s a placement of screens and generally organising of the spaces so that people naturally gravitate to something that suits their interests and what they’re looking for,” states Luchetti.
24 | Australian Hotelier
Trading throughout construction The renovation of Hotel Steyne, which began during the national COVID shutdown, is almost complete, with the finishing touches expected to be done by the end of the month. Throughout that time – barring the shutdown – the pub has been open to the public while the construction continued by opening and shutting certain sections of the pub as needed. While difficult to juggle trade and the renovation, Arnaout says in the circumstances the capacity limits related to the pandemic helped keep this balance manageable. “We’ve literally been moving crowds and our patrons around in stages of the renovation. The whole hotel was always intended to be a staged renovation, but COVID helped us with that staging because naturally we can’t fit the masses in right now. So we’ve been able to go a little bit harder on the construction in areas where otherwise we would have had to stagger the works even more so. So we’ve been able to do bigger stages without really losing the COVD capacities in the venue.”
61 2 9660 8299 paulkellydesign.com.au
Union Place Hotel
TALES FROM THE TOP
Enhancing the customer experience through data SevenRooms, a data-driven guest experience platform for hospitality operators, has launched into the Australian market – and it couldn’t have picked a better time to help venues win back and retain customers. IT’S UNDOUBTEDLY been a
Having launched in
Contactless options for practices
tough trading environment
September, the Australian
like ordering and payment have been a
for pubs in 2020, but as
hospitality market is already
godsend during the pandemic, but many
restrictions begin to ease,
crying out for this type
publicans worry that by automating
operators need all the
of CRM-driven holistic
too many processes, they will lose that
help they can get in luring
platform, with businesses
human connection which is a crucial part
patrons back to their venue,
such as Momento Hospitality,
of the pub experience. Hadida suggests
SkyCity Entertainment
that instead, it helps to enhance that
Group and Matteo Sydney,
human connection by assisting venue
all jumping on board with
staff in personalising an experience for
and giving them the kind of experience that will keep them coming back for more.
Paul Hadida, GM Australia, SevenRooms
For Paul Hadida, general manager-
the SevenRooms tech. Like a lot of other
Australia of SevenRooms, capturing and
operational POS tech, the platform
utilising customer data is key in creating
offers reservation, waitlist and table
for hospitality, that doesn’t mean that
that tailored experience.
management, online ordering, contactless
technology can’t be used to provide a
order and pay, but goes a step further
high-touch experience. In fact, capturing
of businesses innovating to continue
to include reputation management and
data across the guest journey can enhance
providing services to their customers
marketing automation, and collates data
a venue’s ability to provide those personal
in the short-term, but the pandemic
on patron behaviour.
touches, not negate them, with an operator
“We’ve seen so many inspiring stories
will have long-term impacts too. It has
“Using our end-to-end guest experience
their guests. “Despite us entering a ‘contactless’ era
using the data collected through platforms
accelerated the need for hospitality
platform, operators can build a single,
like SevenRooms to deliver a personalised
businesses to embrace technology and use
unified profile on each of their customers
experience to their guests.
it as the foundation on which they build
to understand how they interact with the
their medium- to long-term recovery.
business – whether that includes online
favourite food and drink, whether they have
“Data, and the insights it provides, has
“This could include finding out a guest’s
ordering from home or on-site dining
any allergies, their preferred table or even
gone from ‘nice-to-have’ to essential.
experiences. Our platform helps operators
when their birthday is so they can provide
Every engagement matters, and with
to increase revenue and alleviate the
a favourite entree or bottle of wine on the
technology, savvier operators can serve
impact of the pandemic by leveraging
house to make that guest feel special.”
up the experiences required across both
data to build direct relationships, deliver
on- and off-premise to turn one-off
exceptional experiences and increase
that keep patrons coming back to the
visitors into regulars.”
repeat bookings and orders.”
one venue.
26 | Australian Hotelier
And it’s those human, personal touches
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