LIVE STREAM: Leading Sydney restaurants, bars and cafes tackle workplace culture

How are the hospitality success stories of Sydney forging ahead through a year of exceptional economic and cultural challenges?

Tonight, industry leaders share the most effective policies, procedures and philosophies they’ve implemented to fortify their businesses at the sold-out Good Food Symposium panel discussion at Beta, within the Greek restaurant Alpha.

The topic, Prepare to thrive in ’25: How to position a hospitality business for success, aims to arm industry novices and veterans with practical tips and advice as they head into the busy summer season and beyond.

What is the Good Food Hospitality Symposium?

The Symposium is a free, ticketed event bringing the hospitality community together for a solutions-focused panel discussion led by head of Good Food Sarah Norris.

Presented by Lightspeed, it’s the second edition of a new, ongoing Good Food initiative developed in response to the daunting number of cafe, bar and restaurant closures this year. We’ve covered many of them, from the high-end (such as hatted Potts Point restaurant Raja) to the casual, but it was the story of Annandale cafe Cornersmith that really struck a chord with readers.

The first Good Food Symposium held in Melbourne in June.Credit:

When co-owner Alex Elliott-Howery told Good Food, “hospitality is a bit broken”, ahead of Cornersmith’s March closure, it paved the way for other business owners to speak up, show solidarity and share their struggles.

“They felt just like we did: that they were the only losers who couldn’t figure it out, that the margins are getting tighter, and it’s so hard to make it work,” said Elliott-Howery.

The overwhelming response made it clear: “The industry is desperate to talk about these issues, and now,” said Norris.

A view of the panellists at the first Sydney Good Food Symposium.Credit: Flavio Brancaleone

What can we expect?

At Sydney’s second panel discussion, a group of five leading chefs, restaurateurs and industry professionals will discuss another significant issue facing the industry this year: workplace culture.

In August, Good Food and the Sydney Morning Herald published a series of articles uncovering a culture of sexual harassment within one prominent Sydney hospitality group. Further stories revealed an industry-wide problem of systemic sexual harassment, as well as a growing number of operators working hard to counteract it, by fostering a positive and safe workplace culture.

The panellists will share the benefits of creating a workplace which empowers its staff and advice on how to create an environment which attracts and retains a solid team of employees. They’ll also discuss how to find time to work on culture when your to-do list is already jam-packed, optimising small budgets and the importance of processes and systems.

Afterward, our host will turn to the audience for questions.

Sarah Norris, head of Good Food, will be hosting the symposium at The Grand.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos

Our Sydney panellists

• Sarah Norris (host) – Head of Good Food
• Jeremy Courmadias – CEO, Fink Group
• Claire Van Vuuren – Chef and owner, Bloodwood
• Petrina Baker – Director, Baker and Frost
• Alexander Kelly – Co-owner, Baba’s Place
• Bridget Raffal – Where’s Nick, co-founded Women and Revolution
• Pete Learmonth – Product manager, Lightspeed