Whenthetimecame,theconversationwassimple.
Atthestartoftheyear,CamFairbairnandMitch
Orrstopped,andaskedeachother,“Dowewant
tokeepdoingthis?”
“This”wasAcme,theAsian-inflected,not-Italian
pastarestaurantinRushcuttersBaythathelpedusher
ina newblueprintforSydneydining.A placethatmade
hautebarsnacksofdevonsandwichesandstarturns
ofJatzandpig’s-headmacaroniandbackedit upwith
a servicestylethatwasfreshandrefreshingallat once.
Inclosing,Orr(food)andFairbairn(floor)were
recognisingthatthelowshadcometooutweigh
thehighs.ComeJuly,theywerereadytoturnout
thelights.Whentheydid,it wasaftera floodof
bookingsthatsawthemdoit witha bang.When
Fairbairnlooksbacknow,it’swithprideonwhere
Acmesitsinthecity’seatinganddrinkinghistory.
“Youlosesomeperspectivewhenyou’reinthe
daytoday,soat theendit wasnicetorealisewhat
animpactAcmehad,”hesays.“Whenweopened
in 2014 noonewasreallydoingpastaat a starred-
restaurantlevel.It wasalwaysthreestars,orBar
Reggio.Andnoonewasreallydoingthekindof
laid-back,friendly,casual-but-professionalservice
wedideither.I thinktherewerea lotofthings
Acmeinfluencedina positiveway.”Practically,closingwassimple.Theymadethecall,
theytoldthestaff,thentheysqueezedasmanypeople
inaspossiblesoeveryonecouldhavea lastexperience.
Whatstoodoutinthosefinalweeks,Fairbairnsays,
wasthesupportfromthelocals,andthepersonal
stories– peoplewhomighthavehadtheirfirstdate
at Acmewhowerecomingbackasmarriedcouples.
Ratherthanbebitterthatthesupportwasn’t
alwaysthere,Fairbairnis philosophical.“Acmewent
throughthehighestofhighsandthelowestoflows,
buta lotofbusinessesjustpeterout.Thatwasn’t
lostonmeoronMitch,”hesays.“Andforusit was
alsoverymuchthebeginningofa newchapter.”
ForFairbairn,thatchapteris Bathers’Pavilion.
He’dheardtheyweredoinga refresh,andwhen
Acmeshut,tooka closerlook.A half-hourmeeting
becamethreehours,onewheretheytalkedthrough
theproject– bistro,restaurant,lounge,kiosk,and
theterracewhereyoucandrinkChampagne,eat
oystersandwatchtheworldgoby– andthevision
forthenext 20 years.“Theideais gettingBathers
readyforthenextgeneration.”
Fairbairnspenttimeat Balmoralasa kid,but
hadn’tbeenbackin 15 years.Batherswasthere
then,too.Inmanyways,thatwastheappeal.“In
hospitality,it’sprettyrarethata businesssticksaround
longerthanfiveyears,sotobepartofsomethingthat’s
beenheresolong,andhasa commitmenttobehere
foranother 20 yearsis prettyawesome,”hesays.“If
I thinkaboutit,themaincorrelationbetweenwhat
I’vedoneinthepastandnowis thatAcmewasalways
anintegralpartofthecommunity.AndBathersis
suchanintegralpartofMosmanandofSydney.”
2019 willstickinFairbairn’smindasa turning
point.Maybehe’ddoa coupleofthingsdifferently,
buthe’sthankful.“Wewentthroughsomerough
times,andit’stoughlosinga business,butI wouldn’t
changetheexperiences.It’smademewhoI am,”
hesays.“Also,it’sreally,reallynicetobedownhere
workingneartheocean.”“We went through some tough
times, but I wouldn’t change the
experiences. It’s made me who I am.”CAM FAIRBAIRN
WORDS JOANNA HUNKIN TANIA HOUGHTON & DAVID MATTHEWS CAM FAIRBAIRN. PHOTOGRAPHY WILL HORNER TANIA HOUGHTON & NIKKI TO CAM FAIRBAIRN.