TheAustralianhospitalityindustryisincrisis,withmanypredicting
uptoa thirdofallrestaurantswillclosepermanentlyfollowingthe
Covid-19pandemic.TRISTANLUTZEspeakstosomeoftheindustry’s
leading voices about the future and what needs to change.Deliabelievestheindustryhasbeenoperatingona knife’s
edgeformanyyears,toooftenbuoyedbyrespectableweeks
oftradeandoverlookingdeep,systemicissuesthathavelong
beenat hospitality’score.
“Aslongastherearerestrictions,”saysDelia,“thereis no
survivalpost-Covid.If you’vegota diningroomthat’sonly
legallyallowedtooperateat 20percentcapacityandyou’ve
stillgotthesameoutgoings– thesamerent,thesamemortgage
repayments,thesamewagestructure– thereis nosilverlining.
I don’tunderstandhowrestaurantscanbesopositivethat
they’llgetbackto‘normal’.”
Ratherthansimplyflagproblems,Deliais helpingtofind
solutions,launchingthehomedeliveryserviceProvidoor,which
allowscustomerstoexperiencerestaurant-qualitymealsat home
fromsomeofMelbourne’sbestchefs.Themealsarepartially
cooked and preparedbychefsandrefrigeratedaheadofdelivery,
leavingcustomerstocompletetheprocess
at home.
“Peoplewillkeepeatingat restaurants
evenif weofferthemtheopportunitytoeat
thefoodat home,”saysDelia.“Thisgives
restaurantstheopportunitytodiversifyand
expandtheirmarket.Youdon’tneedto
investanything,andyougettheopportunity
toconnectwitha marketthat’sfarbigger
thananythingyoucansqueezeintoyourdiningroom.”
It’sthesediversificationsthatSaliSasi,co-ownerof
Adelaide’spopularLeighStreetWineRoom,saysareessential
tothefuturesuccessofnotonlylargerrestaurants,butsmaller
venueslikehersaswell.“Somekindofelement,whetherit’s
keepingthetakeawayfoodorofferingpantryitems,I think
it’sa smartbusinessmodel.”
ForherandhusbandNathan,thatelementis JuiceTraders- a winedeliveryservicecapitalisingonthevenue’sexpertly
curatednaturalwineselection.“JuiceTradersis carryingus
through,”saysSasi.“Withoutit,ourbusinesswouldn’tmake
enoughmoneytobesustainable as long as the restrictions
remain in place.”➤
I
t’sbeennearlysixmonthssinceAttica’stableswere
lastset.WhileotherMelbournerestaurantsreopened
duringVictoria’sbrieflockdownreprieveinJune,the
RipponleadiningroomhasbeenemptysinceMarch.
“Atticaonlyworksasa viablefinancialbusiness
with 60 patrons,”explainschefandownerBenShewry.
“Amarginalone,butstillviable.Wecan’topenwith 20 patrons,
oreven40.”
Butwhilethetableshavebeencleared,thekitchenhasbeen
farfromdormant.Onlydaysaftertheforcedclosure,Shewry
andhisteamevolvedoperationsquickly,wieldingbuzzsawsand
whisks,convertingtablesintoshelvesandlaunchingtheAttica
BakeShop(offering,amongotherdelights,a giantversionof
therestaurant’ssignatureVegemitescroll).AtticaAtHome,
too,sprangtolifeovernight,dispatchingbothrefinedclassics
andmorecomforting,homelyfare,suchaslasagne and garlic
bread,deliveredbyAtticastaff,including
Shewryhimself.
“It’sbeenabsolutechaos,”saysthe
chef,whosetstoworkeachdayunder
thespray-paintedmantra‘nevergiveup’,
scrawledacrossAttica’skitchenwall.It’s
a mantraadoptedbymanyintheindustry,
whichhasbeenforcedtorepeatedly
reinventitselfinordertosurvive.A more
brutalalternativewouldbe:Adaptordie.
“Everyone’sworkingtowardthesamegoal,”saysShewry.
“I havea renewedsenseofconfidencethatcomesfrombeing
certainthatI’dgobroke,butthenthinking,‘Youknowwhat?
Notwithouta fight!’.”
ShaneDeliahasstareddownthebarrelofthesamegun.
HeopenedhislatestventureMahaBarjustweeksbeforeCovid
restrictionsforceditsclosure.Asrestaurantsbegantoreopen
inJune,Deliaissueda bleakwarning.
“Everyonewasjumpingupanddowngettingexcitedthat
we’regoingtogetbackintoourrestaurants,butgettinginto
what?Whatareweactuallygettinginto?It wasprettybroken
before, so why is everyone rushing back to what we had?”“Ihavea renewedsense
ofconfidence thatcomes
frombeingcertainthatI’d
gobroke,butthenthinking,
‘not without a fight!’.”INDUSTRY
GOURMET TRAVELLER 51