Josh Raine is looking to open an accessible “pub-style” eatery alongside a “relaxed fine diner”.TNM Creative Media“All chefs would love to have a 15-seater,but it’s not going to make you money,” he says.
“There are still gaps in the market,people want to eat out,but they don’t always have two to three hours,” he says. Raine’s solution is two-pronged:he’s currently eyeing CBD spaces where he can open an accessible “pub-style” eatery alongside a “relaxed fine diner”.
Corey Costelloe,formerly culinary director for Rockpool Bar&Grill,is amongrecent departures at the pointy end of Sydney dining (Rhys Connell has also leftThe Gantry at Walsh Bay). Costelloe will open his own restaurant,but it’s unlikely to be near his old stomping ground at the northern end of the CBD.
“It’s saturated,” Costelloe says of the precinct,pointing to the recent announcement that House Made Hospitality is set to openfour new venues on Phillip Street. He will likely dip his toe in with a pop-up on fertile turf outside the CBD.
QT Sydney executive chef James Kidman is another high-profile departure. His experience running the kitchens at Cafe Sydney,Otto Ristorante and The National Gallery in Canberra has convinced him that size does matter.
“It’s easier to make money consistently in bigger venues,” Kidman says,highlighting advantages both big and small,from the ability to more easily cover absent staff to buying power. “Even if you’re buying produce at 5 per cent less[than your competitors],it adds up.”