Ex-Tetsuya Head Chef Josh Raine and his partner Keliann Zellman had been discussing opening a venue for some time. When Tetsuya’s closed after 37 years of operation in July 2024, the couple needed to make a call.
“I looked around and said, ‘Okay, where do I want to go next?’. I was 37 and I thought it was the perfect time. We knew this time wouldn’t come around again because we’re expecting a baby and it’s going to get a bit crazy,” Raine tells Hospitality.
The chef didn’t want to work for a big hospitality group. He started running pop-ups at the likes of The Blue Door in Surry Hills and in Thailand at Siam Kempinski to develop his understanding of how to run a restaurant.
“The guys from Blue Door were going away on holiday, and they asked if we wanted to take it over for a month. They said, ‘This is your restaurant, you get the supplies, you do everything your way’. So that put our foot in the door. I’m really, really pleased that they did, because it did give us the insight how to run a restaurant,” says Raine.
So what did the chef learn from the pop-ups? “That pop-ups don’t work,” he laughs.
“The pop-ups game was great, but it’s basically like setting up a new restaurant every time … The cost to start a business is the hardest thing because you don’t have stock on hand. By the time you settle in and start getting regulars and a bit of a buzz, it ends.”
Driven by the desire to settle into a venue, but still nervous to commit to a five-to-seven year lease common on commercial premises in Sydney, the couple began looking for a short-term location.
In November 2024, Raine and Zellman stumbled across 40 Reservoir Street. They opened 40Res in March 2025 to rave reviews – and over the winter months began building a buzz with locals.
Co-Founder and CEO of Adelaide’s Big Easy Group Oliver Brown has opened 10 venues. One crucial thing he’s learnt: “Every project is incredibly varied.”
For Brown, opening a new venue always begins with ideation. “For us, a good venue and a good business is always built around a good concept. We usually pick a reference point to build off,” he says. The reference point could be a culture or a moment in time, like the group’s La Louisiane, which is styled as a World War II era French speakeasy. Brown’s team then develops a mood board, which acts as a style guide for the venue’s aesthetic and menus. Then, they make a playlist and write a media release.
Raine, Brown, and a range of industry experts share their tips on how to open a venue, from concept and branding, to sourcing a location, budgets, uniforms, insurance, software, and more.
Finding a venue and settling in
Looking for a short-term lease proved difficult for Raine and Zellman, but eventually some friends helped them source the Surry Hills venue. When the couple visited, they immediately fell in love with it, in large part due to its location on the Central Station side of the suburb.
Raine says location and rent are among the most important things to consider. “If you really like a space, your food or the environment has to adapt to it,” says Raine. “You can’t just put a super fine dining restaurant in a collapsing shed. And that’s why we went for the wine bar, because of the location.”
Developing a relationship with the locals proved to be a powerful move for the duo. Raine says a lot of locals in the area feared losing a venue (40 Reservoir Street previously housed vegan Mexican restaurant Bad Hombres). To set their nerves at ease, the couple “went old school”, dropping leaflets around the area. The letter drops included a contact email, opening hours, and a little more information about their plans.
Speaking to the locals allowed Raine and Zellman significant insight into what people wanted and what would work in the location. It also established a connection with neighbours and reassured them that the restaurant would be a welcoming space for the community.
In the initial stages of opening, the restaurant didn’t do much advertising, allowing them to ease the concept in, while establishing a natural connection with the neighbours. “The locals really stepped in and came every other day or once a week. It turned into something quite good for both parts, really,” says Raine.
Big Easy has sourced its venues in many ways. Often, the team will have their eyes on an area based on its location and demographic. “And then we’ll literally walk the streets and try to find something that might fit,” says Brown.
“Often the best sites don’t have ‘For Lease’ signs in the windows.” To contact the owners, Brown has used a few different methods: “We know some people in the property industry, but you can use buying agents to help find who owns it, or you can slip a note under the door and hope someone gives you a call. I don’t think any of our spaces have come through realestate.com.” Once the business has acquired its venue, it’s time to implement systems such as point of sale, back of house KDS, accounting, and payroll.
Financial software like Wirely can consolidate finances in one place while providing real time visibility over expenses without the common wage reporting delay. “When opening, venues have a lot of systems to implement, but these systems are largely disconnected from one another,” says Wirely Chief Revenue Officer Simon Etchells. “At the same time, many operators forget wages will be their greatest expense. Wirely connects systems and creates real time wages vs sales reporting so you can then make sure you’re hitting your forecasts and your budget.”
Etchells recommends setting up Wirely a minimum of 30 days before opening to ensure it is correctly integrated in time, although the ideal time is once the venue has decided on its POS system.
This period is also the time to look for business insurance. “Ideally, restaurant owners should be exploring their insurance options before they ever open their doors,” says BizCover General Manager Brad Miller. “Once you’ve committed to a lease, invested
in fit-outs or placed orders for equipment and stock, you’re already exposed to risks. Researching your insurance options early means that you can identify what kind of cover you may need before you begin trading, rather than scrambling last minute.”
Miller says insurance can help mitigate unexpected costs, such as damage to the venue fitout, liability issues with contractors, unexpected stock issues, or even fires. “Delaying buying insurance leaves restaurateurs financially vulnerable during one of the most critical phases of their business journey,” says Miller. “Without insurance, these kinds of setbacks can lead to significant debt or, in some cases, the restaurant never opening at all.”
Design and fitout
Raine and Zellman had a budget of $100k to start 40Res, and they tried to save money where they could. “We got friends and family into the space who wanted to help or share connections,” says Raine. “And we did a lot of repurposing. We didn’t want to step into a situation with debt above our heads so we really had to focus on what we could afford.”
Because Raine had dreamt of opening a restaurant for some time, he’d been collecting useful items in a storage space over the years. Much of what the pair now have at 40Res came from restaurants that had shut during Covid, or from auction houses like Lawson’s.
Friends helped along the way with things like painting, and tradie mates helped with electricity and the install. “Every time they come into 40Res they get fed like kings, so they’re happy about it,” says Raine.
In Brown’s experience, “fitout is usually 50 per cent more than you budget for”. Pre Covid, Brown says $2,000 a square metre would get you a reasonable quality fitout in South Australia. “Now it’s more like $4,000 plus per square metre for a good architectural fitout. Nothing’s getting cheaper.”
Developing your brand
Another of Raine’s friends helped with graphics, logo, and website. “We wanted it to be relatable,” says Raine. “Our brief was a local, relaxed, neighbourhood wine bar. We really wanted to tie the locals in, because they’re the people who will jump over the road and come for some food, even on a rainy day — so you really need to support them.”
Uniforms are another crucial aspect of defining a brand. The team at Big Easy uses uniforms to allow for a smoother guest experience. “Not knowing who is working at the venue creates uncertainty for the guests,” says Brown. “For us, it’s about identifying who’s working and who’s not working, so you know who to get the attention of.” In the company’s more elevated venues, uniforms will differ between host, manager, and the rest of the staff.
Big Easy uses a mix of suppliers for its uniforms, including Melbourne based workwear suppliers Cargo Crew. Cargo Crew Founder and Creative Director Felicity Rodgers believes the earlier hospitality businesses begin to consider uniforms, the better. “You’re going to get a better outcome if you take the time to consider your concept, and how your uniforms will fit in — or offset — the décor and theme,” she tells Hospitality.
“My recommendation is that people should think about uniforms in the execution stage of design. They should have a clear idea about their visual language before they come to us,” says Rodgers.
Once the restaurant shares their visual references, the Cargo Crew team considers colour palette, climate, and the business’s functional needs to create some options. “If you choose the right colour that pops or offsets the venue’s colour palette, then your staff is going to be identifiable, you’re going to give a better customer experience, and they’re going to look neat,” she says.
Rodgers stresses the importance of timing: “People shouldn’t
underestimate the power of a uniform. They need to allow time for it – so it shouldn’t be a week before opening.”
Marketing, socials, and public relations
The 40Res team didn’t originally have a public relations or marketing agency working with them, but they recently won a competition led by PR group Agent99. Agent99 is now providing the owners with strategic support around the restaurant’s new Hi-Res concept and event. “That really boosted us,” says Raine. The PR group has also supported the restaurant’s broader marketing efforts with feedback and insights.
According to Agent99 Founder and Director Sharon Zeev Poole, public relations can mean the difference between a fully booked opening week and a quiet launch. “Strategic publicity builds early buzz by sharing your venue’s unique story, values, and vision with media, influencers, and local communities before you even open your doors,” says Zeev Poole.
“Beyond launch, PR helps maintain visibility, manage your reputation, and strengthen community connections, even during challenging periods, ensuring your restaurant stays top-of-mind, attracts loyal customers, and positions itself for long-term success in a competitive market,” she says.
Looking forward, Raine and Zellman have a few projects up their sleeve. For now though, their focus is ensuring 40Res is running smoothly. “When we’re super happy and have good clientele there will definitely be more on the table,” says Raine. “We’re not going to rush into anything. We don’t want to weaken the brand or ourselves.” At Big Easy, the team isn’t looking for rapid site growth or more venues. Currently, they’re focusing on identifying tiny aspects where small, incremental changes can be made. “The goal is for those tiny improvements and details over time to have a large effect,” says Brown.
This story was originally published in the September/October edition of Hospitality magazine. Read more or subscribe here.
