What does it take to keep the wheels turning at some of Melbourne’s most exciting eateries, restaurants and bakeries? And what does progression look like for venues already established in the market? For Adi Halim – the director of Halim Group and the man behind such great restaurants as Aru, Saadi, Antara and gluten-free bakery Kudo – success is grounded in trust, teamwork and people power on the floor and behind the scenes.
Here’s Halim now with how he and his team keep his stable of stellar venues moving forward.
How did you get your start, Adi?
I have always loved the restaurant and bar culture in Melbourne as a consumer. When I took the opportunity to work on a mixed-use precinct project, I gradually became more and more involved in the operational aspects which gave me profound insights and that led to a new obsession for the hospitality industry.
What do you think it is about your venues that has gained traction in Melbourne?
It is definitely the sum of its parts, all the tangibles and intangibles working together. I also think that our propositions – from our gluten-free bakery Kudo to Aru – are relatively unconventional which makes the venues unique and authentic.
Is there any other special sauce to what you do?
Our special sauce has always been our team, the people in our business. We would not be where we are without all the different members who contribute to every aspect of the business. Guests are only exposed to the operational team who look after them but there are many behind the scenes who ensure the team on the restaurant floors are able to do their best work.
Any regrets?
There were quite a few throughout the years, however, we learnt from them. Moving Sunda out of the Punch Lane location without a definite timeframe on the future location is one that used to bug me regularly, however, we now have our Indian restaurant Saadi in Punch Lane doing amazing and exciting things – and that’s a big win in my opinion.
What about the big lessons learned?
We’ve had many great talents working with us, however, they’re at their best when there’s trust between all parties and there’s a shared common objective. It’s great teamwork over a superstar that brings sustainable success to our venues.
What’s been the key to scaling up successfully for you?
I’m always trying to surround myself with smarter people than me, and I do my best to build a strong structure around the business. We didn’t have some of the basics right in the beginning and that was obvious. There is always room for improvement, but I believe we are in a stronger position to grow the business these days.
Times are tough right now. How are you adapting?
It varies between venues, however, we constantly look at ways to improve our guests’ experience because it is our guests, new and regular, who allow us to continue doing what we love.
Any advice for other operators who are hurting?
Learning from our own experience has been invaluable for us. It’s important to identify and acknowledge what doesn’t work and act on those as early as possible.
Who do you look to in Victoria for inspiration? Which venues and people set the bar for you?
There are so many inspirational people in Victoria, however the top three are Tony Ellwood for what he has done at NGV, Con Christopoulos for being so ahead of his time and Pascale Gomes-McNabb for the original design of Cutler, Cumulus and Cumulus Up. As for the ones setting the bar, the team at Flower Drum and Trader House are the benchmark in the country in my opinion.
Best-case scenario, how do you want people to think about what you do?
I hope Melburnians see our venues as the places they are proud to take their guests and visitors to.
For more on Halim Group’s venues, follow along at @arurestaurant, @saadi.melbourne, @antara.melbourne and @kudobakery.