Is it the knack the baristas behold with their regulars at Maverick? Maybe it’s the wine list that’s got just the right amount of oomf to traverse the wants, needs and desires of their day-and-night diners? Or perhaps it’s the way Elio’s Place’s hit breakfast dish, the kaiserschmarrn, is always so elegantly scrambled? Three venues in, siblings Elisa and Adam Mariani know a thing or two about consistency across their cafés, and the importance of getting your teams on the same page to keep the till ticking over during the day’s trade.
Here’s Elisa and Adam now with how it’s done.
Is there any other special sauce to what you do?
Elisa: Our venues are really about sharing the food we love to eat with every person that walks through our doors. It’s a privilege to welcome people into our spaces and offer them a place to enjoy delicious food and drink. Creating venues that are distinct from one another has also been a big focus, but it’s hospitality and the people we work with that are always at the forefront of everything we do. Our teams are filled with people that value hospitality for the same reasons we do, and they are a huge part of how we grow and keep going.
Any tips on building a great team and workplace culture?
Elisa: You have to prioritise your people and create an inclusive and supportive work environment. Giving people opportunities for training and development is so important. We also try to encourage an open dialogue with our teams. And last but not least, recognition and appreciation goes a long way – people need to feel valued for the work they do.
How did you get your start?
Adam: In 2006, I took my first hospitality job at The Coffee Club. I started as a short-order cook, learned to make coffee and went on to manage the venue. I spent just over a year in the job before moving on to work at other venues in the Melbourne CBD.
What do you think it is about your venues that have gained traction in Melbourne?
Adam: I’d like to think that all of our venues do a good job of meeting guest expectations. While the look and feel of each venue is important, we put a lot of focus on creating experiences that feel welcoming and approachable. We try to draw on our experiences of growing up in an Italian-Australian family – hospitality was such a formative part of our upbringing.
Any regrets?
Elisa: I wouldn’t call them regrets, but signing the leases to new venues when a pandemic was about to dramatically change the world really created a steep learning curve for us (and for so many other businesses). We were forced to pivot and re-evaluate how we were going to operate, but I see this need for adaptability as a constant in our sector.
What about the big lessons learned?
Adam: There are three big lessons for me: remain true to your vision; listen and learn from guest feedback; and don’t take your eyes off the day-to-day variable costs, especially labour and food and beverage supplies.
What’s been the key to scaling up successfully for you?
Adam: It’s really been a matter of the right timing and the right headspace to be able to share ideas and think deeply about our next challenge. It then becomes about having the right team in place to drive everything.
Times are tough right now. How are you adapting?
Adam: We’re very focused on guest satisfaction. In a city with so many dining options we know how important it is to look after both our regular and first-time guests. Generating positive word of mouth is just so valuable. And we’re always looking at ways that we can adapt and improve our operations – how can we improve the things we can control? Our focus can be anything from staff training to weekly cash-flow to new menu development.
Any advice for other operators who are hurting?
Adam: This is a hard one to answer! Try to find ways to keep motivated and remind yourself why you do what you do. Most of all, try to keep focused on your point of difference and your variable costs. Also remember that hospitality is a team effort. You need to empower your people to do their best work.
Who do you look to in Victoria for inspiration? Which venues and people set the bar for you?
Elisa: We’re really lucky in Victoria – there are just so many inspiring venues and people! I’ll leave you with a very condensed list of names: Tipo 00, Good Days, Bistra, La Pinta, Bar Olo, Public Wine Shop, Natalie Paull and Tansy Good.
Best case scenario, how do you want people to think about what you do?
Elisa: I hope that our venues inspire both our teams and our guests to view hospitality as a profession – one that, at its best, is a warm and welcoming community. If we can create this feeling in our venues, then we can continue doing what we love.
Find out more about For the Love Hospitality’s great Melbourne venues by following @greta.melbourne, @elios.place and @maverick.melbourne.