01 / Position
Give the venue a clear purpose.
Understand the neighbourhood, the competition and the occasions people are dining for. Bring the concept, menu, pricing and room into line.
The approach
Built around people.
Run with discipline.
A venue needs a clear reason to exist and an operation that supports it. I look at the customer, the concept, the team and the premises together.
02 / Operate
Make the everyday service work.
Build a focused menu, clear service standards and a team that can deliver consistently. Track the trading week as carefully as the opening weekend.
03 / Belong
Give people a reason to return.
Warm service, familiar faces and a venue that fits local life. The aim is repeat custom and a business with a place in its community.
In practice / Julia’s
One concept.
Two neighbourhoods.
The offer is clear: wood-fired pizza, Italian food and cocktails in a welcoming local restaurant.
Francis reports refining the menu, pricing and operation after takeover. Julia’s now trades in Ringwood North and Doreen, with the scale to serve casual meals, family gatherings and group occasions.
The operational challenge is to make the experience consistent while responding to the people and trading patterns around each site.
Explore Julia’sAt the start of a project
The questions that shape the plan.
The customer
Who will use this venue?
Look at the local mix of residents, workers and visitors. Identify the occasions, price points and gaps the venue could serve.
The operation
Can the room deliver the offer?
Review kitchen capacity, service flow, staffing, access and the work needed before opening. An appealing concept needs a workable operation.
The partnership
What needs to work for both sides?
Discuss the lease, fit-out responsibilities, timing and the roles of each partner. Get expectations clear before committing to a direction.
The next opportunity
Good hospitality starts
with a conversation.
Have a vacant tenancy, an existing venue or an idea for a partnership? Let’s see what the opportunity could become.
Francis ChehadeCo-founder & GM, Julia’s
Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne, Australia