Laura Goldberg (Hurricane’s Grill) - wellbeing, boundaries, strategies and resilience.

[laughs] Laura, what are you finding? You know, I, I'm hearing such different things from people in hospitality.

We know that, um, costs are up and spend is down, but some businesses are doing really well and some are doing it really tough.

In your space, Hurricane's Grill, which is a ch- a chain with, um, super appealing, I would say comfort food, like, who doesn't love, like, picking up some ribs and getting sticky and d- and just [laughs] enjoying, um, that beautiful succulence, um, how are you finding the state of business?

Um, so where we've got a interesting mix is that we've got some suburban and we've got one in the city.

So our one in the city has been great actually, even though, uh, the city's not, not so busy.

But we, we're really lucky we have a, we have a bit of a cult following, so we have a lot of tourists that come in, um, uh, to try the ribs.

And, and so the, our city store has been really stable, if not pretty good.

Um, our sub- our suburban stores are struggling a little bit, and I understand that.

Mm.

Cost of living, um, petrol prices up.

And, you know, uh, uh, especially our Castle Hill business is quite in the 'burbs, so when petrol goes up and, and they've gotta travel, you know, 25 kilometers to the city, it does make an impact.

Um, but what we found is a lot of functions.

Functions are t- functions are great.

Um, I think people, e- especially now because there's so much negativity and, and stuff around, I feel like people are celebrating celebrations.

You know, where-

Mm

... whereas before it used to be like, "Oh, we'll just go for a quiet dinner just the two of us on the birthday," now we've got, like, lots of birthdays, lots of celebrations, which is really great because that's what, that's what, that's what I love about hospitality is, is, is h- you know, sharing those moments with your, with your customers.

And, um, where we're really fortunate is that we basically have something for everyone, you know?

Yeah.

It's so interesting.

I, I really, I've been noticing that as well.

Perhaps people aren't, um, eating out as much, but when they do, they wanna make it count.

Um, they wanna choose an experience that they think is gonna be reliable, and they will perhaps spend a bit more on it because they wanna remember it.

Um, if you're not having as many experiences, you want the ones that you do have to be out, like, uh, just brilliant.

[laughs] Something to talk about, uh, something to think back on and, you know, some- perhaps looking forward to the next one.

[laughs] Laura, what are you finding? You know, I, I'm hearing such different things from people in hospitality.

We know that, um, costs are up and spend is down, but some businesses are doing really well and some are doing it really tough.

In your space, Hurricane's Grill, which is a ch- a chain with, um, super appealing, I would say comfort food, like, who doesn't love, like, picking up some ribs and getting sticky and d- and just [laughs] enjoying, um, that beautiful succulence, um, how are you finding the state of business?

Um, so where we've got a interesting mix is that we've got some suburban and we've got one in the city.

So our one in the city has been great actually, even though, uh, the city's not, not so busy.

But we, we're really lucky we have a, we have a bit of a cult following, so we have a lot of tourists that come in, um, uh, to try the ribs.

And, and so the, our city store has been really stable, if not pretty good.

Um, our sub- our suburban stores are struggling a little bit, and I understand that.

Mm.

Cost of living, um, petrol prices up.

And, you know, uh, uh, especially our Castle Hill business is quite in the 'burbs, so when petrol goes up and, and they've gotta travel, you know, 25 kilometers to the city, it does make an impact.

Um, but what we found is a lot of functions.

Functions are t- functions are great.

Um, I think people, e- especially now because there's so much negativity and, and stuff around, I feel like people are celebrating celebrations.

You know, where-

Mm

... whereas before it used to be like, "Oh, we'll just go for a quiet dinner just the two of us on the birthday," now we've got, like, lots of birthdays, lots of celebrations, which is really great because that's what, that's what, that's what I love about hospitality is, is, is h- you know, sharing those moments with your, with your customers.

And, um, where we're really fortunate is that we basically have something for everyone, you know?

Yeah.

It's so interesting.

I, I really, I've been noticing that as well.

Perhaps people aren't, um, eating out as much, but when they do, they wanna make it count.

Um, they wanna choose an experience that they think is gonna be reliable, and they will perhaps spend a bit more on it because they wanna remember it.

Um, if you're not having as many experiences, you want the ones that you do have to be out, like, uh, just brilliant.

[laughs] Something to talk about, uh, something to think back on and, you know, some- perhaps looking forward to the next one.