Hospitality supply services might not immediately make you think ‘sexy’. But when a barkeep in a moodily lit bar holds up the perfectly formed juniper gin balloon or catches the light in the edges of a cut-glass whiskey tumbler as she tosses in a smooth American bourbon, there’s no other word to describe it. Sexy.
And what’s even more sexy? In a world that’s still struggling to open up post-COVID, sexy is companies supporting other companies to make that happen.
Nisbets, with its collaboration with The Lobby, is one of those sexy companies.
As the number one supplier of commercial kitchen and catering supplies in Australia, Nisbets is on the leading edge of a new wave of hospitality companies whose goal is to support the next generation of restaurateurs and hoteliers.
‘Working with The Lobby is really exciting for us,’ says Michael Micallef, Managing Director, Nisbets Australia and New Zealand. ‘The Lobby is the last privately owned hotel bar in Melbourne. And Arielle has a vision of bringing that old school lounge experience back to South Yarra. We want to help bring that vision to life.’
Arielle is Arielle Thomas, the daughter of Peter and Rowina Thomas, the owners of the five-star, boutique Lyall Hotel and Spa. In June, Arielle opened up The Lobby as a pop-up bar on street level. It was a smash-up success.
Arielle says, ‘We only had a small window of time before more lockdowns were announced, but during that window The Lobby was full every night. We even started pulling in regulars,’ she says. ‘I think people really responded to our cosy, speakeasy vibe.’
Bringing the old speakeasy look to life means having the right ambiance. This comes down to lighting, furnishings, the bar itself and, of course, the glassware and other service items. Every item is carefully selected to add to the look.
‘Collaborating with The Lobby means we get to showcase some of our exceptional hospitality products, while supporting an up-and-coming Melbourne establishment,’ says Michael. ‘This includes beautiful glassware and crystal, of course, but also back-of-house industry equipment, like state-of-the-art glass washers.’
For Arielle, working with Nisbets has meant having support during a difficult time.
‘COVID has been a crazy time for the Melbourne hospitality industry in general. We took some unique approaches to staying in business, like delivering our bespoke range of cocktails to our locked-down customers via UberEATS. But it’s not the same as having the bar doors thrown open and happy people popping in for a Toorak Hold Up or our Watermelon Tommy,’ Arielle says.
‘Nisbets has been generous in offering collaborative support during a weird and really difficult time, and we’re so excited that we’ve been able to open again from November 5th.’
Nisbets range of hospitality supplies is available online worldwide, or in stores throughout Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT. The Lobby at the Lyall Hotel is open every Thursday to Sunday from 5pm to late, including Christmas and New Year.
Nisbets
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The Lobby at The Lyall
16 Murphy Street, South Yarra VIC 3141