The rise of all-day dining

All-day dining is a tough nut to crack. From the cost of labour to ensuring each part of service is as good as the last, the challenges can feel overwhelming. But for two recent additions to Melbourne’s long-service hospitality milieu, the peaks outweigh the troughs. Hospitality speaks to the operators about how they’re taming the multi-hour business model.

After running cafes for 11 years, the restaurateurs behind Operator 25, Operator Diner, and Operator San were looking for a new challenge. Co-Owners Valerie Fong, Randy Dhamanhuri, and Chef Partner James Cornwall (former head chef of Cumulus Inc.) devised a new eatery; one that could transition smoothly from breakfast to dinner.

Inspired by the brasseries of New York and London, the team came up with Ruby Dining, which is in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD, on the corner of Queen and Little Bourke. Although labour costs are high, so is rent, especially for venues situated in high-traffic areas, which means operators should consider extending their hours to justify high leasing costs. As Dhamanhuri puts it, “you’re already paying rent for the venue, so you can also see it as an opportunity to try maximising your sales”.

From ensuring high-quality service – even during quiet times – to delivering excellent food, service, and ambience in each different period, running an all-day venture isn’t without its challenges. The style of service needs to adapt to different times to keep up with changing clientele, pace, and offerings. Staff skills also need to be accounted for; who can make a good coffee in the morning, and who knows about wine and can make a killer cocktail at night?

“We chose to have one head chef oversee breakfast and one oversee dinner, so they aren’t spread too thin and to help keep the creative focus to their assigned area,” says Dhamanhuri. To ensure food preparation and ordering runs smoothly, ingredient crossover is implemented across the menus, ensuring kitchen space and produce are both utilised efficiently. The transition between menus is also supported by an additional afternoon snack service as well as dedicated prep kitchens.

On weekends, visitors can grab all-day breakfast at Ruby from dishes of shokupan (Japanese milk bread) French toast with strawberries, mascarpone, maple syrup, and pistachio to Moroccan baked eggs with spiced chickpeas, coriander, fetta, za’atar and flatbread. On weekdays, breakfast runs from 7-11:30am. The lunch and dinner menus follow a similar pattern, punctured only by the reduced snack-style menu during the quieter afternoon period.

Ten minutes’ walk down the road are the even-newer kids on the all-day-dining block Elio’s Place. The venue launched in August and is the Euro-inspired brainchild from the team behind Greta and Maverick, aka sibling duo Adam and Elisa Mariani.

Elio’s isn’t the Mariani’s first foray into all-day dining. Their weekday joint Greta was the first to implement the model, which allowed the pair to observe the dining habits of guests from morning till night. But Elio’s is delivering something different. “The location of Elio’s Place is very well suited to all-day service, it’s in the heart of Flinders Lane which has so many different customer demographics; the corporates, the students, the foodies, and the tourists,” says Adam.

“Being known as a space that caters to anyone at any time of day means more convenience for customers and that we can meet the needs of a variety of demographics,” adds Elisa. “This also feeds into increased brand recognition and the possibility of a greater competitive edge.”

From 7 till 11am, Elio’s is serving a European breakfast with a mix of sweet and savoury options, including Kaiserschmarrn (Austrian “scrambled” pancakes) with blueberry yoghurt and smoked trout with gherkins, horseradish, pepper berry creme fraiche, and focaccia. “There are also grab-and-go sandwiches for those on the run, but we like to invite those who can, to dine in and enjoy a slow breakfast,” says Elisa.

The lunch and dinner menu runs from 12 till 3pm, and then from 5pm till late. The format encourages sharing, with guests able to select house-made pastas; cabbage skewers served with a butter emulsion and Espelette pepper; raw beef with bone marrow mayonnaise and blackberries; and whole flounder with burnt lemon and bottarga.

Aperitivo and bar hours run in between lunch and dinner, with the venue offering pared-back menu of snack-style items including house-made focaccia served with miso butter, Sydney Rock oysters, and daily chef specials. “Diners can make the experience their own,” says Elisa. “They can grab and go, drink coffee at the front bar in true European fashion, or sit down and take their time to dine.”

When it comes to staffing, Elio’s is taking a multi-faceted approach, with the team encouraged to gain experience working during different parts of the day and night. Their goal? To create a team of professionals with skills across all service styles. “Some may have day or night experience specifically, but with training and development, full coverage is learned,” says Adam. “Hospitality presents many daily challenges, and you never know when staff coverage is required.”

With early positive reviews already emerging, the challenging endeavour appears likely to prove lucrative for those game enough to give all-day dining a go.

Photography: Jana Langhorst

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