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.

After helping restaurateur Chris Lucas launch an outpost of his fan-favourite restaurant Chin Chin in Geelong earlier this year, KDPO was all-in when he opened Tombo Den in September.

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.

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.

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.

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”.

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.

KDPO and Johnny’s Green Room are old friends. We launched the iconic Carlton rooftop venue on the corner of Lygon and Faraday Streets in 2018, and last December we celebrated its stunning Tuscan-inspired makeover.

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.

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.

While everyone in Melbourne was bummed about not being able to frequent their fave brunch spots on the weekend when we went into our first lockdown in March, little did we know that Australian charity OnePlate would come to our rescue. In May this year, Australian charity OnePlate launched its first-ever cookbook “Brunch in Melbourne”…

Carlton North café Babajan has been winning over locals, tourists and foodies alike with their delicious Turkish and Middle Eastern creations for years. Due to its cosy nature, it wasn’t too COVID-19 friendly, so owner Kirsty Chiaplias decided to make the leap into transforming Babajan into a takeaway and provedore heaven in August 2020. The…

Now in its 14th year, Young Gun of Wine had to mix it up a little in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Live music is one of the things we’ve missed the most in lockdown, so KDPO was completely on board when Coopers Brewery engaged us to promote their virtual entertainment series, Live, Loud & Local, nationally.

When we saw three young Bondi guys making waves and changing the fast-food scene in Sydney with Fishbowl we were excited to find out that they were making their way down to our beloved Melbourne.

Melbourne food truck king and owner of Brunswick’s Beatbox Kitchen, Raph Rashid staged a 24-hour burger flipping marathon for charity in August to raise money for the Youth Support + Advocacy Service (YSAS).

Arbory Afloat, Melbourne’s hottest (and longest) floating restaurant and bar swapped spritz and pizza for Namaste and downward dog when it hosted Yoga On The Yarra for International Women’s Day.

Boozy, buffet and brunch are three words we can all get behind. Put them all together and they’re even better as Adam Wright-Smith is currently proving at Half Acre, his bar, eatery and events space in South Melbourne.

Off the back of the success of its Byron Bay and Noosa restaurants, Light Years opened a third outpost in the always sunny Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast.