The outdoor terrace at Ronda Locatelli formed the ideal backdrop for the debate. The outdoor terrace at Ronda Locatelli formed the ideal backdrop for the debate.

Above the law
Penhaligan said the time it was taking to sign off on license laws was impacting negatively on restaurants: “we are waiting so long to get a liquor license so you can actually operate your restaurant.

“The majority of ours are freestanding restaurants – you get told it will have a license and so invest into the project. You bring your staff over then you have to wait six months to get a liquor license which means you’ve tripled your staff costs, your staff decide to go elsewhere because they are getting paid but aren’t getting tips and so on. I understand there are talks at a higher level but it’s something that needs to be addressed.”

Competitor understanding was also a big topic, with much of the panel and the industry demanding that more must be done to encourage outlets to work together and show staff what one another is doing.

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Embracing the competition
Kitts said while the budget existed for staff to experience other restaurants and see what was being created in neighbouring outlets, there were very few that utilised it.

“Staff are not encouraged to use it – it’s only healthy for the industry to use the tools it has.”

Micheel added: “you’re not going to be able to make decisions if you don’t know what the competition is doing. Somebody comes up with an idea and is disappointed when you tell them 5kms down the road they’ve been doing it for the past few years – this is particularly true of top management.”

But one of the biggest topics of the day was the issue of technology and rising trends in social media. Oikonomopoulos said the industry had to embrace this technique and learn how to use it to its advantage.

Inspector gadget
“I can see how important it is – gadgets, technology for our customers and how they impact on our future business. We need to consider that.”

Patten added: “Where social media is concerned, you can follow the impact straight away. It is tangible, you can study it quickly and get the info straight away. In our industry that’s what you need.”