a day ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Restaurants are feeling the cozzie livs crunch. These operators might have found a solution
When chef Faheem Noor opened Ruma Dining in Double Bay late last year, he discovered dinner trade lagged strong daytime traffic. Noor's solution wasn't to slash prices or introduce specials – instead, he merged Ruma with Arte Bianca, the popular prize-winning Double Bay pizzeria that operated only at night.
Noor, who worked in the restaurant kitchens of chefs Gordon Ramsay and Tetsuya Wakuda, described the consolidation of the two separately owned businesses as Ruma Arte Bianca Pizzeria Ristorante. He said the move was a no-brainer given the savings in overheads and allowed operators to split rent, insurance, utilities and staff costs.
Noor described the arrangement as 'a new business model' for an industry battling tough trading conditions. The chef said there were already a few savvy Sydney hospitality operators cleverly utilising their own spaces – pointing to daytime cafe Harrys Bondi's launch of its Raw Next Door concept, an izakaya that opens in the space after sunset.
Former Tetsuya's head chef, Darren Robertson, tried a different approach to generate income during daytime downtime at Rocker, the North Bondi restaurant he co-founded. Rocker trialled a program with a company that sells workspace in closed hospitality venues.
