Hospitality Archives - Page 2 of 4 - Karla Dawes Press Office

The March of Wine

We’ve been long-time fans of chef Peter Gunn and his excellent restaurant IDES, so we were more than excited to help him launch his second venue, a wine bar called March. Right next door to his restaurant on Smith Street in Collingwood, March is an intimate, moodily-lit, Japanese-inspired ode to small wine and sake producers, interesting cocktails and exquisite bar food (we’re suckers for the sake-steamed pipis and the sweet-and-sour quail). The offering is pure Gunn with its perfect balance of creativity and flavour, with added drinks ballast from IDES sommelier Hayley McCarthy.

Turkish Delight in the City

Babajan, Hospitality Posted by kdpo

Babajan, the exquisite little bakery and kitchen in North Carlton, has been gathering a cult following for its “Turkish-leaning” baked, fresh and sweet goods since it opened in 2016 on the corner of Nicholson and Pigdon Streets. Now owner Kirsty Chiaplias has spread the love to the CBD.

Meat, Meet Art

Victor Churchill, Hospitality Posted by kdpo

Anyone who has encountered Victor Churchill, the acclaimed marble-clad butcher shop in Sydney’s Woollahra, has been dazzled by the audacity of its vision.

Garden State goes Italian

Tippy Tay, Hospitality, Events Posted by kdpo

Can’t travel to Italy right now? Well, look no further than Sand Hill Road’s flagship CBD venue, Garden State, which mid-last year shifted gears on its flagship Garden Grill.

HER to the Power of Four

Hospitality, Culture Posted by kdpo

It was a red-letter day when HER swung open its multiple doors in early February. Almost six years in the making, the four-level, multi-concept venue on Lonsdale Street in the city became an instant Melbourne landmark and the latest addition to our famous “vertical laneways”. A grand Victorian rescued from neglect by the HQ group…

A decade of Chin Chin

Lucas Restaurants, Hospitality, Events Posted by kdpo

Anyone who lives in Melbourne knows the city’s restaurant scene can be best understood in terms of BCC (before Chin Chin) and ACC (after Chin Chin). For the past decade it’s been a party disguised as a restaurant – which makes it absolutely no surprise that the 10th birthday of the Flinders Lane lovely was…

Patsy’s Charms North Melbourne

Patsy's, Hospitality Posted by kdpo

We relished the opportunity to introduce the world to the debonaire Patsy’s, a wine bar and meat-free bistro that swung open its doors, opened directly opposite the Queen Victoria Market on the fringe of Melbourne’s CBD late last year.

Chandon Puts the Sparkle in Summer

CHANDON, Hospitality, Events Posted by kdpo

We were fizzing with excitement when leading international wine house Chandon engaged KDPO to assist in promoting its Garden Spritz Summer Sessions pop-up at its stunning Yarra Valley estate.

Grand Slam Souvlaki

Hospitality, Events Posted by kdpo

It was love-all when Melbourne’s iconic late night souvlaki institution Stalactites joined forces with the highest ranked Greek tennis player in history, Stefanos Tsitsipas – all in the name of raising funds for mental health.

Gone Fishing

The Fishmonger's Son, Hospitality, Events Posted by kdpo

We fell hook, line and sinker for the joys of promoting the North Carlton seafood shop The Fishmonger’s Son.

Stokehouse by moonlite

Stokehouse Precinct, Hospitality, Events, Culture Posted by kdpo

Iconic St Kilda restaurant Stokehouse got into a plate-smashing mood to celebrate Orthodox Easter this year, with a one-off dinner with its Executive Chef Jason Staudt and talented chef Matt Germanchis. Matt is behind Anglesea’s acclaimed Fish By Moonlite, so it should come as no surprise that the night included some amazing seafood in the…

Curiouser and curiouser

Hospitality, Events Posted by kdpo

Melbourne’s most glamorous and mysterious new cocktail bar is Curious by name and curious by nature. Tucked away in a subterranean cocoon in Melbourne’s brand-new W Hotel, it’s the new address for the glitterati – which meant it deserved a suitably exclusive launch party. KDPO pulled together a guest list of movers and shakers from…

Free to feed ready to party

Hospitality, Events, Culture Posted by kdpo

KDPO has long been an admirer of social enterprise Free to Feed, which for the past five years has been creating empowering employment opportunities for refugees and asylum seekers while spreading awareness through shared food experiences. So naturally we jumped at the chance to provide pro-bono help in May when FTF launched their fabulous new…

Play it live and play it loud

Coopers, Hospitality, Lifestyle, Events Posted by kdpo

Live music is back, baby! While virtual gigs sustained us through 2020, it’s great to get back to experience music IRL (real life… remember that?). Following the phenomenal success of last year’s live stream event Live, Loud and Local, KDPO once again jumped on board with Coopers Brewery and Live Nation Australasia to promote live…

Special delivery

Hospitality, Lifestyle, Events Posted by kdpo

Melbourne loves Providoor, Shane Delia’s premium delivery service that brings food from some of Melbourne’s best restaurants to peoples’ homes. Providoor has always been much more than just another delivery app – as it proved conclusively with a recent series of virtual masterclasses designed to celebrate key dates in the calendar, including Easter and Mothers’…

Hunted + Gathered + slathered

Hunted+Gathered, Hospitality Posted by kdpo

We at KDPO are firmly in the pro-chocolate camp, so it was a thrill to launch Hunted + Gathered’s new chocolate spread range, along with the retail release of their cooking chocolate. You’ve probably already heard of these cool kids on the chocolate block, but by way of backstory, Hunted + Gathered was started in…

The Westin sets sail

Westin Melbourne, Hospitality Posted by kdpo

The Westin Hotel has brought a nautical theme to its legendary High Tea. In collaboration with Four Pillars Gin, the boozy, seafood-themed experience is called High Seas and includes gin-based cocktails (like the 50/50, a mix of Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin, Lillet Blanc and orange bitters) and delicate and delicious finger food like curried…

Ticking the box

Stokehouse Precinct, Hospitality Posted by kdpo

Want a great example of successful pivoting during lockdown? Look no further than the successful collaboration between Melbourne bayside restaurant icon Stokehouse and legendary seafood wholesaler Clamms. Stokehouse chef Jason Staudt joined up with the Clamms folk to put together three boxes of premium seafood and BBQ goodies that could be enjoyed at home, on…

Tasty collaborations

Maker & Monger, Hospitality Posted by kdpo

The beginning of 2021 has already seen some of our favourite clients presenting exciting new initiatives. Prahran Market cheese gurus Maker & Monger have collaborated with former MasterChef winner Diana Chan on a deliciously fiery toastie called the Sambal Hae Bee. Inspired by Malaysian dried shrimp sambal, the toastie has shrimp, shallots, lemongrass, galangal, chillies…

Bird in Hand pops a cork

Bird In Hand, Hospitality Posted by kdpo

We were beside ourselves with post-COVID excitement when we finally got to host our first in real life event for South Australian winery Bird in Hand. Birds of a feather flocked together at our equally lovely client Stokehouse’s elegant private events space, the Palm Room. Enjoying stunning St Kilda beach views, fabulous food from executive…

Johnny’s Green Room salutes the sun

Johnny's Green Room, Hospitality Posted by kdpo

The festive season was a little bit different last year, for obvious reasons, but we have become expert practitioners in the art of the pivot. Case in point: our annual Start of Summer lunch, which is held every year on the first Friday of December at Johnny’s Green Room. In pre-pandemic times, Johnny’s rooftop with…

Aussie beach house on the Yarra

Arbory, Hospitality Posted by kdpo

It’s not really summer until Arbory Afloat, the much-loved floating bar and restaurant anchored next to Flinders Street Station each year, announces its décor and flavour theme for the coming season. In previous years there’s been a Euro beach club vibe but this year, like the rest of us, they’re sticking a little closer to…

Lakeside lovelies

Lakeside at Carousel, Hospitality Posted by kdpo

The place to be this summer has been lakeside in Albert Park. KDPO helped the teams behind South Melbourne diner Half Acre and catering creatives food&desire establish a pop-up urban retreat that makes the picnic rug a chic accoutrement indeed. Lakeside at Carousel was all about giving event-starved Melburnians the chance to grab a COVID-19…

A cookbook for good: Brunch in Melbourne

Hospitality Posted by kdpo

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”…

Pivot is Cookes Food’s middle name

Cookes Food, Hospitality Posted by kdpo

Cookes Food is a premium and multifaceted events and catering company that has been no stranger to a pivot in 2020. After a calendar full of events and functions were cleared overnight for Cookes founder Sophie Storen in late March when COVID-19 hit our shores, Sophie and her team put their thinking caps on and started…

Let them eat gelato cake: Pidapipo enlists artist Beci Orpin to lift the mood

Pidapipo, Hospitality Posted by kdpo

Everyone’s favourite gelateria Pidapipo decided to combine forces with much loved Melbourne artist Beci Orpin to lift the spirits the only way they knew how; with art and gelato cakes. In late July, Pidapipo owner Lisa Valmorbida worked her magic and came up with three different mini gelato cakes all with puff pastry bases and…

Babajan transforms into a Turkish takeaway delight

Hospitality Posted by kdpo

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…

The future of wine

Hospitality Posted by kdpo

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

Cheers to free beers

Stomping Ground, Hospitality Posted by kdpo

It would take a stronger person than us to get through this whole pandemic thing without a few beers. Collingwood brewery Stomping Ground was happy to keep brewing beer during the shutdown but was also sad about all those COVID-shuttered pubs across the city so they decided to do something.

K&G goes back to the future

King & Godfree, Hospitality Posted by kdpo

Past and present came together in an unexpected but ultimately comforting way at King & Godfree recently. K&G, a licensed grocery store operating since 1884, has been owned and operated by the Valmorbida family since 1955 and was recently renovated. And then COVID-19 arrived to spoil the party.