Bar Carnation: Big Shoes
For Audrey Shaw and team, first came Carnation Canteen – a much-talked-about little restaurant in the back streets of Fitzroy. Then, the opportunity of a lifetime; to put roots down in a mythic local hospitality address.
When Gerald Diffey of Gerald's Bar fame first suggested to Audrey Shaw – Owner and Head Chef at one of Fitzroy's newest hospitality darlings, Carnation Canteen – that she might be right person to inherit the then soon-to-be Gerald's bones, Shaw was daunted. And rightfully so. Much like most of Carlton and the rest of the inner north, Shaw drank, smoked and socialised at Gerald's enough to know what it represented, what the space – its time-worn walls, its hearty ambience – meant to people.
So, when she and the team decided to embark on Bar Carnation in Gerald's place, they knew that both a light touch and a keen eye were required. Which perfectly suits a team known for a masterful balance of attention to detail and springy, festive hospitality (in the true sense of the word).
This month on A+, we spent some time in the Rathdowne Street venue, where the team are well and truly settling in. We talked legacy, guts and design, in the latest instalment of our video series on Australian hospitality benchmarks. See previous videos Caretaker's Cottage, Tom McHugo's, and High Note.
Director & DoP: Jack Rintoul
Assistant: Tom Armour
Creative Directors & Producers: Joanna Zawadzka, Sam Davison & Isobel Beech
Additional photography: courtesy of Coco & Maximillian
More from A+
)
The Kids Are Alright
When everyone is hiring and experience is thin on the ground, someone has to show the new generation how it’s done. Will it be you?
)
)
Communication Conundrum: Must Every Venue Enter the Chat?
Have we trained customers to want too much interaction? The upsides and pitfalls of your phone, website and social media strategies.
)