‘I knew there was a market’: Restaurant`s defy trend to thrive in Sydney’s southern suburbs

Priced out of the east, both diners and restaurateurs are heading south. And their bookings are heading north. Tristan Rosier’s dream was to one day hit 1100 bookings a week. He’s there.

Fior owner Tristan Rosier and head chef Will Lawson pictured outside the newly-opened restaurant in Gymea. Picture: Rohan Kelly

For chef and restaurant owner Tristan Rosier his dream when opening his new venue in Gymea was to one day hit 1100 bookings a week.

Within seven days of opening the casual Italian restaurant Fior, his first in the Shire, Rosier hit that number.

Such is the demand, Rosier has had to change his hours, and close on Monday, to give his staff a break.

“I’m not surprised, I was pretty sure it was a safe bet hence why I put in the money I did. I knew there was a market,” said Rosier of his decision to open a venue in the Shire, after his previous venues Arthur and Jane were in Surry Hills.

While the dominant narrative in Sydney’s hospitality scene is the amount of closures due to cost of living pressures, Rosier’s Fior is bucking the trend. Rosier credits part of that to his decision to open a venue outside the CBD.

Fior owner Tristan Rosier and head chef Will Lawson pictured outside the newly-opened restaurant in Gymea. Picture: Rohan Kelly

“People are being priced out of the east so they are moving south and they are getting all the same things and that’s why there is an opportunity in hospitality because they are used to certain amenities that don’t exist or are starting to exist,” said Rosier.

Fior joins a list of venues that have opened up to huge popularity in the Shire including seafood restaurant Bobby’s on the Esplanade in South Cronulla, Hurricane’s Grill and Bar and bakery Flour in Caringbah South.

Demographer Mark McCrindle, principal of McCrindle Research, said that he was not at all surprised by the Shire’s booming dining scene.

“The Shire in the past used to have a reputation as being very Anglo and nor particularly diverse, but it is coming to life in terms of the build environment and options from cafes and restaurants to shopping.”

McCrindle said that despite its reputation as a “retirement hot spot” the area’s median age of 41 was only slightly higher than the national average, adding that median weekly income is above average, meaning locals have more money to spend on food and drink.

“People are more likely to be working there than in the rest of Australia, and locals earn 20 per cent above the state average in terms of weekly income.”

“What’s brought it into its own is that just as Sydney has been transformed, there is a recognition of the Shire’s liveability. It has access to the city, the beach, the airport, and yet its surrounded by national parks and beaches.”

“It’s an area undergoing great change.”

Chef Carl Jensen (whites) with wife Brooke Jensen and General Manger Josh Metcalfe at their Cronulla venue Papa J's. Picture: Rohan Kelly

Business owners Carl and Brooke Jensen have been operating in The Shire for over 35 years. They’ve got Jensen’s in Kareela and up-market cocktail bar Papa J’s in Cronulla, which has just extended it’s menu offering.

“We opened Papa J’s three years ago as we saw a gap in the market for a great cocktail bar and it worked out but the trade is heavy on the weekend so we saw a gap in the weeknight trade for dining,” said Jensen, on the decision to add more food.

The popular duo are also currently negotiating a third venue to add to their portfolio. “We are not ready to settle with the two and are happy to push the envelope and give a crack at something else. Right now it’s hard for a lot of restaurants. Spending is dropping, but I think there is light at the end of the tunnel. We’ve got a great market here in the Sutherland Shire and we want to continue to look after our customers.”

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