Five years ago, Adam Racina opened La Pinta, a Spanish-leaning small plates bar and eatery that Reservoir locals couldn’t get enough of. Fast forward to today, and the delicious spread of great value, great-tasting dishes has found a loyal audience of fans from right across the city. No space at the table? No worries. Racina and his partner, Brooke Mora, also run Sardinas just over the road – an equally delicious but perhaps more snacky and spontaneous sibling wine bar that in its two years of operating is as popular as ever.
How do Racina and Mora leave such a lasting impression on their customers, their community, and their team? Here’s Racina now with the secret sauce.
What do you think it is about your venues that has gained traction in Melbourne?
I think the combination of a good vibe and a good product at an accessible price point. It’s such a nice time on a busy night when the music is pumping, people are sitting at the bar chatting, there’s a big group out the back celebrating a birthday and there’s people having some charcuterie and a drink across the road at Sardinas watching the sun set. We by no means think that we are ‘cheap’ but we do believe that we work with really amazing food and beverage producers and many customers are able to visit on a regular basis.
How did you get your start?
I am a chef by trade and have worked in kitchens around Melbourne prior to opening La Pinta. I always wanted to open a restaurant but my lack of experience in the field and lack of finances were a barrier. I met someone along the journey who could provide both of these things and we opened La Pinta right in the middle of a 2020 lockdown. This partnership deteriorated and ended very shortly after opening. In 2023 Brooke and I opened Sardinas because the space directly across the road seemed too good to pass up.
Is there any other special sauce to what you do?
We make as much as we can from scratch. That and a good dose of organised chaos when it’s busy. Everything is on show at La Pinta. From the kitchen, the bar and the pot wash – all of it.
Any regrets?
No regrets. There are definitely mistakes that I would not make again but mistakes are made to be learned from.
What about the big lessons learned?
There are so many. Most of which you don’t even realise you have learnt or need to learn. Small business is such a minefield that nothing or no one can truly prepare you for. I have also learnt a lot (and I am still learning) about the importance of self-care, physically and mentally. Being a leader can be draining and you always have to be on for your staff and customers to maintain a healthy environment. Learning to have confidence in what you are doing is a big one that has taken me a while to achieve. There are so many distractions with social media and various publications and reviews that it can be easy to lose focus on what is happening in your own space.
What’s been the key to scaling up successfully for you?
People. Obviously there is no Sardinas without Brooke. We also have amazing staff in the front and back of house. Also knowing when scaling up and doing more things is actually a good idea or not. We don’t want to be massive. We just want two great small local businesses, where we too can enjoy our time away from work.
Any tips on building a great team and workplace culture?
Again, it’s definitely the people that make this one. Finding the right group of people that are able to get along, and maintaining a healthy balance of professionalism and fun along with job satisfaction. Different personalities are suited to different types of venues as well. For example, us being small produce-driven venues, the offering is changing on a daily basis. This requires a certain type of individual that is energised by this type of working environment. Work-life balance is really important and above all, if we or our staff stop caring about our work, it’s probably time to do something else.
You hear some operators and punters concerned that groups are starting to dominate hospitality in Australia. What’s your take on that?
I think this is a very valid topic that should be talked about. I do think “groups” is vague as I am sure they all have a different MO and at what point does a multi-venue company become a group. Two, three, eight venues? However I do know that to scale up to a much larger level requires a lot of standardisation and standardisation removes some of the personality and soul out of restaurants and bars. These restaurants and bars are the pulse of every great street and alley in the country and if there is an oversaturation of groups then our streets become a whole lot more boring. I think if groups start proliferating further out away from the CBD and inner-city suburbs, our streets will lose charm, character and personality.
Times are tough right now. How are you adapting?
As a business owner you always have to be adapting and adjusting and staying on top of everything. It’s so hard to know what will work and what won’t while also sticking to your values. We’re always second guessing ourselves and talking and thinking about what we are doing.
Any advice for other operators who are hurting?
I think talking to other operators who have a similar business or are in a similar location is very helpful. Generally there are many other operators facing the same issues and exchanging experiences seems to help a lot.
Who do you look to in Victoria for inspiration? Which venues and people set the bar for you?
I feel inspired every time I sit down for a nice meal with loved ones, whether that is at our two favourite falafel joints Half Moon Cafe and Very Good Falafel. And there’s restaurants like Manzé and the legends up the road at Vex, these are always inspiring experiences in different ways and remind me that I cook because I love to eat, and we have venues because we love giving people a good time (and having one ourselves).
Best case scenario, how do you want people to think about what you do?
I just want people to think we are venues that when they think of us, they want to come back.
La Pinta, 791 High St, Reservoir, lapintareservoir.com.au, @la_pinta_reservoir; Sardinas, 688 High St, Reservoir, sardinas.com.au, @sardinas_reservoir