Grant Smillie, Melbourne DJ turned Hollywood hospitality star, opening Cali-cool restaurant at Crown

DJ Grant Smillie has conquered the food scene in LA. Now, he’s opening a Cali-inspired restaurant at Crown Melbourne.

Grant Smillie had no hesitation packing his bags, jumping on a plane and returning to Melbourne. Picture: Supplied

Grant Smillie had no hesitation packing his bags, jumping on a plane and returning to Melbourne.

As far as full circle moments go, this was a powerful opportunity for the LA-based hospitality boss.

He’d been speaking to Crown for the past decade about a possible collaboration and in May the stars aligned for him to take charge of the site which used to house Neil Perry’s Italian restaurant Rosetta.

Marmont owner Grant Smillie and head chef Mark Tagnipez. Pic: Josh Robenstone

After making his mark as a DJ, the time is right to bring his Cali experience back home for new dining establishment Marmont, scheduled to open at Crown on December 14. “I’d been talking to Enda Cunningham (head of Crown food and beverage) for 10 years plus,’’ Smillie says.

“He mentioned potentially the Rosetta site could come up, and I was on a plane the next day to look at it. I’m talking May this year and they were already well into ideating what would be there. They’d actually gone out saying they were going to do The Henley and that was going to be their concept.

“I said I’ve got time to be able to spend a significant amount of time in Melbourne, it wouldn’t have made sense otherwise.”

Crown backed his Californian style concept.

“As soon as that happened, straight away I said pack some suitcases and get to Melbourne.

“You’ve got to be really quick and decisive.”

He’d been speaking to Crown for the past decade about a possible collaboration. Pic: Josh Robenstone

Smillie’s entry into hospitality started when he co-founded Ponyfish Island in the middle of the Yarra in 2013 before moving to Los Angeles to start E.P. & L.P in West Hollywood with business partners two years later. The group has gone on to launch two more venues in the area: Strings of Life and Grandmaster Recorders.

He had carved a successful career in music before the career pivot, but still maintains ties to the industry.

“I won an Aria in 2006, nearly 20 years ago and we opened E.P. & L.P in LA in 2015,’’ Smillie says.

“I was going back and forth and on the way back through in 2013 I met my business partner at the time, David Combes. He was doing real estate and he said come and have a look at this rooftop and I said maybe I’ll spend more time here in LA. I was hungry for the next hospo project. You realise pretty quick if you’ve spent time in LA that you don’t get it right if you don’t understand the nuances of the town. I had to quickly be there a lot more than I thought and that forces your hand.

“(As a DJ) I was doing 200 flights a year for 15 years. If you woke up in your bed on a Saturday night you were doing something wrong because it meant you didn’t have a show. Hospitality gave me some roots and for that I’m really thankful.

“I spent 12 years in LA and it’s my second home and I still have that relationship.

“Melbourne is always home and not much has changed – apart from the next generation coming through, someone is either richer or poorer, fatter or skinnier, has more hair or less hair or a second or third wife or no one. The tan is still popular as ever and the mighty Pies are still winning so that’s good.”

Smillie’s frank and positive attitude has kept him afloat, particularly during tough times. Picture: Supplied

Smillie’s frank and positive attitude has kept him afloat, particularly during tough times like last year.

He says it was even more tough than through Covid, due to the Hollywood actors’ strike. He lost a million dollars a year in each venue from not being able to host parties and events for the likes of streaming giants Netflix, Amazon and Hulu.

“On the other side of it, you can go down to Malibu and sit and watch the ocean and go for a ski the same day and then watch a comedy show and end up at the Hollywood Bowl watching a Triple A artist. There’s some cool stuff,’’ he says.

“It’s a minimum 12 months’ project here and that’ll take in the F1 (Grand Prix), spring racing carnival, Australian Open and how we integrate with those. Bringing guest chefs over from America and meeting key stakeholders, you’ve got to be around.

“On the Melbourne side, it plants your DNA again and then we can see what else might come. I’ve got a task to do here and I’m very focused on that. It’s been a very natural fit.

“You realise how clean and nice and safe all the things are in Melbourne. LA has its gritty parts and it’s been magnified since Covid.

“The air smells great on the whole here and there’s no hazy smog.”

Grant had carved a successful career in music before the career pivot, but still maintains ties to the industry. Picture Andrew Tauber

Smillie is grateful for the opportunity that Crown has given him with Marmont to be featured at a marquee site.

He and his partner, TV host and entertainment reporter Sussan Mourad, have set up their new base and both will fly back and forth for work when necessary.

There’s plenty of new offerings around the city but Smillie is confident his “day to night” concept will be an attractive proposition.

He has partnered with Mark Tagnipez as head chef, who he worked with at E.P. & L.P from 2015-2017.

“Melbourne does food and beverage really well,’’ Smillie says.

“Getting that blend right, an all day into an evening thing, making sure you’re adding that musical element and finding that niche, and people coming at all times of the day for different experiences. That little bit of Cali flair, fun and a bit of that celeb factor.

“We’re open seven days a week from noon until late. We’ll have music live from Thursday through Sunday, and in peak periods, we’ll have it seven days a week.

“There’s definitely room for more. Whether it’s Chris Lucas or Andrew McConnell or Nick and Dan Russian, we’re all committed to delivering a quality product.

“Marmont for me ticks all the boxes: being part of the Crown family, then there’s Perth and Sydney and if I expand and go there I’ll be here for a very long time.

“The bullshit stops when the needle rocks and once we get this thing trading that will be the ultimate lever of success.”