Why Icebergs restaurateur Maurice Terzini planned to quit
The hospitality icon reveals why he wanted to walk away from the glitzy restaurant, his new bar and the results of his unique hiring strategy.
Confidential
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Restaurateur Maurice Terzini planned to quit his iconic Bondi seaside restaurant Icebergs Dining & Bar at the end of the year.
Terzini, who calls himself the “custodian” of the celebrity haunt which is on top of the Icebergs swimming club, planned to vacate the venue after celebrating his 20th anniversary in December.
He said the last five years at the venue have been “a struggle” because of back of house issues and a small kitchen.
“I was going to go at the 20 year anniversary. I felt I’d completed my milestone,” he said.
“I’d consistently run a restaurant on the Pacific Ocean that needs six cleaners in the morning and we’d cracked the Top 100 restaurants in the world,” he said.
However extensive renovations currently taking place at the have changed his outlook.
“In the last week I’ve seen the renovations and I’m more excited. It’s going to change the course of my life,” he said. “When I walked into the new kitchen I realised I can’t leave now.”
Renovations will continue at the venue until October, while Terzini is tweaking the menu to sharpen up the wine list and offer more seasonal food.
The news comes as Terzini’s recent venture in Melbourne, Cucina Povera Vino Vero, has closed indefinitely because of a rumoured fallout with fellow owner, Joseph Vargetto.
Back in Sydney, Terzini has taken up a residence at The Intercontinental Sydney Double Bay famed bar.
Once the local haunt for David Bowie, Princess Diana and Michael Hutchence, it’s now called The Bar and brings back the glamour of Hotel Bars in London and New York.
Staff are dressed in white jackets, there is velvet carpet and they’ve brought back the original piano man Scott Finnie.
“People asked if I was going to put in a DJ and the last thing I wanted to do was turn it into a bad nightclub. Sydney has enough of those. It’s easy to turn the music up but we want to bring back elegance and decadence of hotels, ” said Terzini, who took on the project to help diversify his portfolio.
Terzini considers the residency an apprenticeship, as he dreams of opening up a ‘Hotel Terzini’ one day.
The project is due to wrap up at the end of the year, with Terzini needing his staff back at Icebergs.
“We are treading fine water as it is so I need to take my crew with me, I can’t afford to leave them behind,” he said.
Meanwhile, his email call-out to the customer database of the glitzy restaurant advertising positions has been successful.
“We’ve had about 50 kids email in,” he said.
“I’ve had friends kids come to the restaurant since they were two. They are from successful eastern suburbs families and these kids are very well presented.
“We provide them with great skills.”
Terzini is the creative director of DTL Entertainment Group which is also currently transforming Jacksons on George into a new office tower, dining and retail precinct due to open in early 2023.
He laments despite the challenging times, he owes it to the city to keep going.
“If I stopped working, what am I going to do? You just never give up.”
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