The Lost Cowe: A new bar takes its place on Island foreshore

A new, late night bar and restaurant has opened on Phillip Island, offering a technological difference to its drink making.

The Cowes Foreshore has welcomed a brand new venue to its mix.

The Lost Cowe is set to be a “point of difference” in the Island’s hospitality scene.

Owners Jareth Richardson and Aaron Clay have gone from seeing the ‘for lease’ sign to opening the doors in just six weeks and say they will offer the Island something new.

The restaurant cafe bar is located along the Esplanade in Cowes and stands out with a “Melbourne industrial chic” look, according to Mr Richardson.

“We [Aaron and I] were down here about six weeks ago and we had been looking for a place to base out business out of. It was raining and we parked out the front, got a coffee at M & O, saw the sign and contacted the real estate agent,” he said.

“The idea is to bring a little bit of Melbourne down to Phillip Island.”

He added “we don’t put ourselves in a box here”.

Mr Richardson grew up close by on the Mornington Peninsula and has travelled the world, spending two year living in Europe. Co-owner Mr Clay was born in Far North Queensland, has lived in Darwin and eventually made his way to Melbourne.

The pair already own an events company in Melbourne and saw this as the perfect opportunity to expand their horizons.

With plans to incorporate live music, drag nights and wine tastings, Mr Richardson and Mr Clay are focused on filling a “gap” in the Phillip Island hospitality sector.

“It is all about the vibe for us,” Richardson said.

“We will focus on late night dining, which is something that isn’t really done here as well as having a locals membership and providing consistency, we are all about providing that point of difference.”

Another point of difference for the venue is a bar gadget called the “bottoms up” — a cocktail machine which fills glasses automatically from the bottom up.

“We are the first in Australia to utilise the machine for cocktails,” Mr Richardson said.

“They are traditionally used in the States for serving beer in big stadiums.”

The “bottoms up” will allow for staff to serve drinks quickly and consistently — and at a lower price.

The venue opened for a “soft launch” on Monday night and Mr Richardson said the reviews have so far been very positive.

“They have all been five star reviews,” he said.

Mr Richardson and Mr Clay were concerned about finding staff, given the current skills shortages, but said they had had no trouble.

“We have a full team,” Mr Richardson said.

“We again, provided a point of difference in our recruiting. You didn’t need a resume, you didn’t need a CV. It was all about attitude.”

At the core of the Lost Cowe is the saying “the best memories are shared” which Mr Richardson said was what he hopes people will take away from the venue after visiting.

“Whether it is the food or the wine or the cocktails or entertainment, we just want people to have a positive experience … and come back,” he said.

You can visit their Facebook page here for all upcoming events.

*The Lost Cowe was previously called The Tipsy Cowe.