Page 43 - foodservice magazine April 2019
P. 43

FINE DINING
7
GEORGE PAPAIOANNOU, 22, SIXPENNY
George Papaioannou is the restaurant manager at Sixpenny, one of Sydney’s more traditional fine-dining establishments. Not traditional enough to have linen tablecloths and fish knives, but Papaioannou still greets guests as sir or madame.
What’s changing is how that’s done, he says. “It’s executed in a more approachable manner.” That doesn’t mean fine-dining service is becoming less professional (Papaioannou goes as far as checking which hand a diner eats with, and makes sure they’re served accordingly), just less formal. It should be like being invited into a friend’s home, but you’re sitting in the separate dining room no one is normally allowed in, he says. “It’s just that little bit more special.”
As a waiter there are many opportunities, but pushing into management can
be difficult. “There are only so many management positions available in Sydney. However, no one should be turned down just because of their age. Dan Puskas [chef- owner of Sixpenny] asked me to be his restaurant manager for a reason, it wasn’t because of my experience, but my passion for the industry and willingness to learn and grow with the business.”
NADINE STEGMEIER, 33, QUAY
In March last year, Quay closed for a
major renovation – not just scrapping
their infamously gaudy purple carpets, but overhauling the entire operation. Nadine Stegmeier is the general manager of Quay 2.0. She says one of the crucial updates
was turning Quay’s service away from a standardised almost servant-like style to focus on personalisation. “It’s about reading the guest and individualising the service accordingly to how they want to experience Quay.” Whether that’s making overwhelmed
first-timers feel comfortable, or lathering on the luxury for those who feel entitled to a good pamper.
The challenge for Stegmeier and
her staff now is how the audience has changed. “Guests have more information than ever, they require a higher level of sophistication and effort to surprise and delight them. Guests do not want to be educated or taught how to eat their meals or what to wear. They want to be sent on a journey of discovery.”
Stegmeier says it’s increasingly difficult to find staff up to the task, and that the important step for any fine diner is upping their training game. “We need to invest a lot of time and training into the younger generation, and provide staff with the opportunity to grow.”
Opposite page:
A1 Canteen. George Papaioannou. Above: Nadine Stegmeier.


































































































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