Geelong’s pub and bar barons reveal secrets to success and plans to rebound after lockdowns
Billy Brownless has revealed the secret to winning over Geelong pub customers, which has he and business partners primed for more success in 2022.
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The Addy has chatted to Geelong’s pub and bar heavyweights to find out how they have rebounded from Covid lockdowns, their plans for the future and their secrets to success.
GORGE CAMORRA
18th Amendment, Manhattan Bar, Non Disclosure Bar
The reach of Geelong’s cocktail supremo Gorge Camorra is set to widen with a pop-up bar to open at Queenscliff this Friday.
While high-end, Non Disclosure Bar, to be operated by Camorra at Little Malop St’s Westend, is expected to be running by March next year.
Since the opening speakeasy-style bar, 18th Amendment, at Little Malop St in 2017, Camorra has added to his stable with Manhattan Bar on James St in 2019, and an 18th Amendment spin-off in Ballarat in 2020.
Finally free from the shackles of Covid-enforced patron caps, Camorra will take the 18th Amendment model to the on the road to the Royal Hotel in Queenscliff.
“We will run an 18th Amendment bar there for the next six weeks. The owners of the building have got three artists in who will also showcase their work, Camorra says.
Camorra’s next venture due to open in February or March will be the Non Disclosure Bar tucked away off Little Malop St, between Mav’s Greek restaurant, the Arborist and Gartland property, in an office space formerly occupied by a law firm.
“We are going higher end than 18th Amendment. It’s drawn inspiration from the really nice hotels bars that you get, like the The Savoy Hotel in London.
“We will be bringing out a lot of really rare spirits. We will have 1970s bottles of Johnny Walker (Scotch whisky) for you to try.
“A lot of stuff that is part of my personal collection will be available to drink. We’ve even got a 1930s Corio whisky which is made in Geelong. It is ridiculously priced, something like $500-$600 a shot, but you are drinking history.
“If you are Negroni drinker we will be able to make you a Negroni with spirits and liqueurs from the 1970s.
“We have got our liquor licence and our planning permit so the renovation will really kick start now.”
Camorra says the key to success at his venues is his staff and keeping across is emerging overseas trends is cocktail and spirit drinking.
“We are just really passionate about it. It’s our staff that is the secret I think. It’s just a big team throughout the venues. They are willing to learn and train, and get better all the time, and that gets passed onto the customers.
“We are looking at what is happening in the UK, London, New York and Paris.
“There’s nothing that Geelong can’t do that New York, London, Paris and Madrid is doing.
“People copy our stuff now. I went to Bendigo once and they were doing our Boardwalk Empire (cocktail).”
Camorra says patronage at his venues have been near capacity since density limits were dropped.
“People are drinking better now; they are drinking more high quality stuff. So the cost per head is a little bit higher.”
Billy Brownless
The Commo, Wharf Shed, Cremorne Hotel
Alongside Matt Connell and Andrew Clark, Brownless has extended his reach into the Geelong hospitality scene with his latest venture a 20-year lease of The Commun Na Feinne in South Geelong.
It adds to Brownless’ stable that already includes the Wharf Shed at the Geelong waterfront and the Cremorne Hotel on Pakington St, Newtown.
For 20 years Brownless has been in business with Clark, who is director at the Cremorne and the Wharf Shed and the Australian Hotels Association Victoria Vice President.
Known for being humble, good humoured and generous, Clark has been a source of wisdom for up-and-coming publicans following years as the director of the Frothy Beer Group.
Brownless says patronage at his venues are tracking towards pre-pandemic levels.
“Especially at the Wharf Shed, the sun comes out and the pile in there.”
Brownless says regular clientele has returned to The Commo because they know it offers well-priced and generously-sized meals.
“A lot of the clientele are coming back because they know the meals are big and cheap.”
Asked what the key to success is at his venues, Brownless says: “Provide good service. People just want good service and good meals.”
But he acknowledges in the current environment, where the hospitality sector is in the grips of a worker shortage, is a challenge.
“What we have found is that a lot of people are realising that a lot of places are understaffed so they are being more patient. You might have to wait a bit longer for a beer or a meal, and most people understand.”
Brownless predicts hospitality in Geelong will return to its pre-pandemic levels in 2022 due to high levels of disposable income.
“People haven’t been able to travel so they’ve got money and they are happy to go out and spend it. We are seeing that, a lot of people are coming out and are happy to spend.”
CAM O’KEEFE
Westend Restaurant & Bar
O’Keefe, the owner of the Westend bar and restaurant on Little Malop St, used the Covid lockdown this year to diversify into online wine retailing.
Under the Evino brand, Mr O’Keefe sources Grenache, Rose, Pinot Noir, Merlots and other wines from boutique vineyards, wholesalers and wine connoisseurs looking to downsize their private collections.
“Demand has been stronger than what I anticipated. We’re selling about 50 dozen bottles of wine a month,” Mr O’Keefe said.
“We moved to the take away food model (through Covid) and diversified into selling wine retail to the point where we started our own online wine retail brand.
“A lot of people have these huge cellars, and as they age they realise they can’t drink all of it so they sell it. We started buying it and on-selling it to customers we had contact with.
“For us that was a revenue stream that was quite important during the pandemic.
“It probably opened us up to a large range of customers that probably didn’t know the Westend brand.”
Mr O’Keefe said the key to his success operating Westend was the quality food offering, produced from fresh ingredients, and backed by chef Richard Hooper who shared his vision for good food, shared in a welcoming environment.
GEORGE RAMIA
Sphinx Hotel, Fisherman’s Pier, National Hotel
The owner of the Sphinx Hotel at North Geelong, the Fisherman’s Pier restaurant in Geelong and the National Hotel on Moorabool St has been hit hard by lock downs, with his venues closed for about 35 weeks during the past two years.
Ramia says his venues are operating at about 80-90 per cent of staff capacity, partly due to the closure of international borders.
“This time around people are coming back but they are being a little bit more cautious. The young people aren’t afraid to come out but the older folk are a bit scared to come out,” Mr Ramia says.
Ramia said live performances at the Sphinx Hotel had not reached pre-pandemic levels as he remained cautious in the face rising Covid numbers in Geelong.
“We are really struggling to get (more) good staff on board. A lot of younger people don’t seem to want to work.
“We’re probably running at 80-90 per cent staff (capacity at the moment)... since we were allowed to reopen (fully) in November.”
“We are able to get staff but they aren’t qualified or experienced. We are putting very inexperienced staff on, it makes it difficult in our hotels.”
Ramia said the return of office workers to the CBD was key to the ongoing success of Fisherman’s Pier and the National Hotel which relied on the corporate market.
He said trade at the National was booming, backed by a flurry of private function bookings as Geelong emerged from Covid lock downs.
“We are pretty much booked out each weekend for functions.”
The Sphinx Hotel has been in the Ramia family for 50 years while Mr Ramia has owned Fisherman’s Pier for 12 years and the National Hotel since 1987.
Ramia says the key to success at his venues is providing quality and consistent service.
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