A bona fide French blockbuster
Hospitality

We’re always excited to spread the word whenever a new restaurant is added the Lucas Restaurants stable, but it was particularly special to work on the campaign for his latest venue, Maison Bâtard, which opened in November.

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Raise a Glass
Hospitality

KDPO loves any excuse to swirl and sip while learning more about wine.

That’s why we were thrilled to help spread the word about Circl, a new restaurant with a big focus on wine (as the magnificent 1500-bottle cellar will no doubt attest) on Punch Lane in Melbourne’s CBD.

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A New Morning
Hospitality

Williamstown is unimaginable without the Morning Star Hotel. Trading in the bayside `burb since 1896, the local icon recently enjoyed a fabulous glow-up courtesy of publicans Stephen Mitchell (The Bridge Hotel), Matt Vero (Marquis of Lorne, Mount Erica, Orrong Hotel) and Williamstown local Aaron Onofretchook.

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South Melbourne, Meet Kirbie
Hospitality

Clarendon Street’s stocks are on the rise, as evidenced by the exciting arrival of all-day bistro Kirbie.

Of course, we were already fans of its predecessor, restaurateur Kirbie Tate’s Aussie-Korean wine bar James. We knew the strip was in for a fabulous new taste of her already assured take on hospitality, and were delighted to help announce the intimate 40-seater to both the `hood and further afield.

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Two-Speed Italian Fun
Hospitality

Cremorne’s tallest building, the striking new Cubitt Place development, has the attention-grabbing venue to suit its grand designs.

But fun fact: it’s really two venues. Pronounced “Am-uh-tree-chay”, the ground floor café and rooftop bar are the latest passion project from hospitality heavyweight Dave Parker (San Telmo Group) and his partners at Williamstown favourite Sebastian, Kelly and Alex Brawn.

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Baker Bleu’s Bunnies
Hospitality

Five of our favourite words? Baker Bleu hot cross buns. The bun-loving KDPO office was bouncing to be engaged by the cult bakery to help amplify the launch of their brand-new hot cross buns over Easter. The best part was coordinating product send outs of the buns to KOLs and food media across Melbourne and…

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Carlotta hits Canberra
Hospitality

We were delighted to jump onboard the Lucas Restaurants train again in October when Chris Lucas opened Carlotta, his much-anticipated debut on Canberra’s restaurant scene.

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Chin Chin Finds its Club

A Chin Chin pop-up restaurant at Geelong’s iconic GMHBA Stadium? They’re calling it Club Chin Chin, we’re calling it game on. The partnership between the trend-setting restaurant and the beloved Geelong Cats Football Club is one of the most exciting announcements of 2024. Taking Chin Chin’s trademark fire and spice down the Princes Freeway marked a significant milestone in Geelong’s dining scene and a triumphant homecoming for its Geelong born and bred owner Chris Lucas.

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Back to the Ruben
Hospitality

We loved working on the launch of Ruben’s Deli on Armadale’s buzzing High Street in 2023, so when owner and Melbourne hospitality legend Amanda Ruben asked for our help again we jumped at the opportunity.

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Melbourne Meets Wally’s
Hospitality

The gorgeous corner spot that houses bayside’s newest wine bar, Wally’s Albert Park, had us at hello. The Studio Ami-designed space is the very picture of European elegance with its brass tabletops, miniature lamps and velvet banquettes. Just add a marble-topped bar and waiter’s station, all reflected in an antique mirrored ceiling, and you can file it under “effortlessly chic”.

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Lucia is Here
Hospitality

South Melbourne’s Mediterranean heart is full with the opening of Lucia. The latest offering from the teams behind suburban gems Riserva, Baia Di Vino and San Lorenzo, and brings its own distinct identity to a great inner-city location just 10 minutes from the CBD.

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See you at Starward
Hospitality

KDPO are long-time fans of Starward Whisky so we were enthusiastically on board for a campaign to help publicise the brilliant revamp of the 120-seat venue which has added a new bar and kitchen and a new name, Starward Whisky & Bar.

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Hotel Sorrento Goes Resort
Hospitality

Clifftop beauty Hotel Sorrento opened a new chapter in its 150-year history in December last year and KDPO was there to get the word out. The grand unveiling of its stunning makeover has cemented it as a leader in the Mornington Peninsula luxury-stay field.

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Taittinger Kicks Goals

The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 was a roaring, crowd-pleasing, game-changing success and KDPO was thrilled to play our part in such an historic occasion through working with the series’ official champagne sponsor, iconic champagne house Taittinger.

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Young At Heart
Hospitality

There simply cannot be too many easy-going venues that seamlessly combine drinks, food, music and art, which is why we’re ringing the bell for new Windsor bar Young Hearts.

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A Bagel Attraction
Hospitality

The bagel revolution reached Armadale with the arrival of Hank’s Bagelry in April. The elevated New York-style bagels on offer from the shop by the Beatty Group, the masterminds behind Copycat Bar & Restaurant and Mammoth Café, have become an immediate hit and established it as a must-visit destination for aficionados while making plenty of new converts to the bagel cause.

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The Motel With The Most
Travel

It’s easy to see why retro motels are all the rage. They’re a slice of Australian history, wrapped up in the gold-tinged nostalgia of childhood – and they make the perfect excuse for a roadtrip.

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Maha’s Big Night
Hospitality

Has it really been that long? June saw us wondering where the past 15 years had gone when Shane Delia’s acclaimed Middle Eastern and Mediterranean restaurant Maha celebrated its significant birthday (answer: the past decade and a half disappeared in a delicious whirl of silken hummus, fall-apart lamb shoulder and pomegranate-spike cocktails).

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Thrill at the Grill

The opening of a new Chris Lucas restaurant is always an event on the Melbourne hospitality calendar so it was a thrill for KDPO to help launch his latest venture, the very glamorous Grill Americano in Melbourne’s CBD.

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Pasta By the Bay

The sun has been shining on Melbourne’s iconic Stokehouse for more than 30 years. And now Melbourne’s favourite beachside playground is delivering St Kilda even more vitamin D in the form of newly launched Stokehouse Pasta & Bar, where Mediterranean vibes rule just metres from the sand.

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Happy Birthday Victor Churchill

KDPO has been an enthusiastic cheerleader for what is rightly described as “the world’s most beautiful butcher” since Victor Churchill opened in Melbourne in 2021. So we were counting down the days to their first birthday in November last year, and were on hand to help blow out the candles on the cake.

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Victor & Hector’s Limited-Edition Sanga

Sandwiches are king of the castle right now. Not the sad old school lunchbox numbers but their luxe cousins, made with excellent produce and a chef’s eye for detail. For a case in point, look no further than the limited edition, one-weekend-only sandwich, an amazing collaboration between our client, glam Armadale butcher Victor Churchill, and Fitzroy’s newest food crush, Hector’s Deli.

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Fanfare for the Classic Pub

The imposing Orrong Hotel has been an Armadale landmark for the past 150 years, and locals (some of them lucky members of the KDPO office) are thrilled it’s had a new lease on life since its reopening late last year under new owners Scott Connolly and Matt Vero.

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Pidapipo’s Experiments in Style
Pidapipo

Our favourite gelateria Pidapipo really does deserve the label “cult”. Melbourne’s most creative gelato hub has proven its brilliance at blending traditional and innovative techniques and flavours time and again since opening in 2013.

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Shane Delia Adds Jewel to his Crown
Jayda

It’s always exciting when Shane Delia embarks on a new project. Melbourne’s king of Middle Eastern food launched his cocktail bar Jayda in November, and the latest addition to his incredible restaurant and bar portfolio is a stunning exercise in art deco-leaning glamour, with a black marble-topped curved green bar and high-top seating in the front room leading to a sophisticated salon accessed through an archway.

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Read the Story of King & Godfree

It’s one of Melbourne’s OG food businesses; an institution that has been trading on its prominent corner of Lygon and Faraday Streets in Carlton for more than 150 years. Yes, we’re talking about King and Godfree, the Italian-hearted deli and grocer. After all these years it has plenty of tales to tell, which makes it…

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