Building a Great Culture: Where The Hell Do I Start?

Re-Release: Insolvency - When Push Comes to Shove

In between Season 2 and 3, enjoy this re-release of one of our favourite must-listen episodes from Season 1. Originally released on Oct 13, 2025. In this episode, Leon sat down with Phillip Spry (Director, Mawson) to demystify what happens when a venue slides from strain to financial distress—and how to avoid becoming part of the predicted contraction.  Rather than fear, the focus is clarity: a plain-English definition of insolvency (“can’t pay debts when they’re due”), the day-one reality of administration (what administrators actually do, when trading can continue, and why preparation matters), and the habits that quietly tip operators over the edge—thin margins, vanity metrics, and hope-as-a-plan.  Philip walks through the single most powerful tool owners ignore: a rolling 13–16 week cashflow runway that shows when the cliff arrives and which levers (creditor terms, cost cuts, capital) could bridge it. The conversation also covers staff entitlements, creditor negotiations, and why character and communication often decide whether suppliers back you.  Finally, Leon and Philip map life after crisis—how some founders come back sharper and more disciplined, and why the goal isn’t just survival but a cleaner, more sustainable business on the other side. Topics Covered: * What insolvency really means in plain language — and why “can’t pay debts when they’re due” is both simple and dangerously vague * How administration works day-to-day, from the moment an administrator steps in to what it takes to keep trading * The common triggers in hospitality that tip venues over the edge — from seasonality and thin margins to vanity metrics that hide deeper issues * Why a cashflow runway is the single best diagnostic tool for whether you can trade out, restructure, or need outside help * How to think about life after crisis — postmortems, reinvention, and why some operators emerge sharper, more disciplined, and more sustainable

Live from The Pinnacle: Secrets to Scaling Your Hospitality Business

The season 2 finale is also our first live episode! Recorded at the The Pinnacle, Fitzroy, Leon is joined by industry experts Nathen Doyle (Agree to Agree Group), Drew Bowering (GM, OpenTable Australia), and our own Loren Daniels (Head of Sales & Marketing at PAX).  This episode tackles real-world business challenges from restaurant owners facing thin margins and operational plateaus. The panel dives into real case studies - from restaurants struggling with high labour costs despite being busy, to established operators wondering how to scale without losing their identity.  You'll gain forensic insights on balancing rent-to-revenue ratios, optimising menu engineering, and systemising your business to move beyond being the daily bottleneck. You'll learn how to audit your systems, empower your team, and realign with your true mission for long-term hospitality success. (00:03:00) The 'We're Busy But Broke' Problem (00:05:30) Rent-to-Revenue: The 5% Rule (00:10:45) Using Data to Find Revenue (00:13:30) Systems as a Worthwhile Investment (00:27:00) Strategies for Scaling Your Business (00:33:30) Introspection and Business Coaching (00:43:00) Moving Beyond the Founder Bottleneck For access to our easy-to-digest PDF outlining the 10 key take-aways from this episode, head to https://pax.melbourne/season-2-episode- [https://pax.melbourne/season-2-episode-8]10. Treat it as checklist to review where your business is at.  If you're keen to get in touch, contact hello@pax.melbourne.  If you're needing advice or want to discuss your business's current status, we highly recommend scheduling a call with Leon. It's just a chat and doesn't have to be anything more than that. We're here to listen and help where we can. Book a call here [ https://calendly.com/hello-pax/30-minute-call-clone ] Follow @pax.melbourne on social media. Podcast produced by Posterboy Media. [http://www.posterboymedia.com.au/]

Unlocking Restaurant Event Sales

In this episode of the PAX Hospitality Podcast, Leon sits down with sales and business development specialist Loren Daniels to discuss the critical shift in modern restaurant revenue. Gone are the days when hosting events was simply a "nice to have." Today, it’s a necessary component of financial stability. Loren breaks down the archaic mentality that keeps many venues stagnant and provides a clear, actionable blueprint to transform your event sales engine. From optimising your online presence and refining your offer to mastering the art of conversion and post-event follow-up, this conversation covers the full spectrum. Whether you are dipping your toes into the private dining space or looking to level up your existing strategy, this episode provides the framework needed to unclog your sales funnel and drive consistent, high-margin revenue. Tune in to turn your venue into a year-round powerhouse. (00:01:00) The shift to event revenue (00:03:00) Big industry statistics and data (00:06:00) Treating events like sales engines (00:08:00) Redefining your event strategy (00:11:00) Optimizing your online findability (00:16:30) Speed and conversion tactics (00:26:30) Capturing repeat event revenue For access to our easy-to-digest PDF outlining the 10 key take-aways from this episode, head to https://pax.melbourne/season-2-episode-9 [https://pax.melbourne/season-2-episode-9]. Treat it as checklist to review where your business is at.  If you're keen to get in touch, contact hello@pax.melbourne.  If you're needing advice or want to discuss your business's current status, we highly recommend scheduling a call with Leon. It's just a chat and doesn't have to be anything more than that. We're here to listen and help where we can. Book a call here [https://calendly.com/hello-pax/30-minute-call-clone]. Follow @pax.melbourne on social media. Podcast produced by Posterboy Media. [http://www.posterboymedia.com.au/]

Building a Great Culture: Where The Hell Do I Start?

In this episode, Michael replaces Leon on hosting duties, and along with Sean Whitford, PAX's Leadership & Development Manager, we get into hospitality's often-overlooked technical side and explore why traditional training frameworks are failing modern teams. Moving past the 'sink or swim' mentality, they introduce the concept of the "Role Blueprint" - a specific, task-by-task framework that replaces generic checklists with individualised growth pathways. Sean, an expert in team development, argues that while skills can be taught, motivation is internal; therefore, leaders must prioritise environment over ego to keep staff engaged beyond the critical six-week mark. Michael discusses the pitfalls of vibes-based hiring and the necessity of regular, low-stakes check-ins to prevent turnover. This episode provides actionable strategies for building cohesive teams that over-index on success by focusing on the individual rather than the process. For access to our easy-to-digest PDF outlining the 10 key take-aways from this episode, head to https://pax.melbourne/season-2-episode-8 [https://pax.melbourne/season-2-episode-8]. Treat it as checklist to review where your business is at.  If you're keen to understand how you can work with Sean to build a customised L&D blueprint for your venue, get in touch hello@pax.melbourne.  If you're needing advice or want to discuss your business's current status, we highly recommend scheduling a call with Leon. It's just a chat and doesn't have to be anything more than that. We're here to listen and help where we can. Book a call here [ https://calendly.com/hello-pax/30-minute-call-clone ] Follow @pax.melbourne on social media. Podcast produced by Posterboy Media. [http://www.posterboymedia.com.au/]

Cutting to the chase with Pat Nourse

As Creative Director of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival and the man Leon calls the "Keyser Söze of hospitality," Pat Nourse brings a rare combination of credentials to the table: former editor of the Gourmet Traveler restaurant guide, longtime Chair of The World's 50 Best Restaurants for Australia, and the person who ultimately shapes what MFWF becomes each year. In this conversation, Pat makes the case for why Melbourne is already a genuine global contender, built not from the top down, but from grassroots markets, multicultural neighbourhoods, and venues that simply refuse to be ordinary. He shares exactly what it takes to build a standout MFWF 2027 event and gets brutally, brilliantly honest about how food media really works. How to craft a pitch that doesn't get deleted. Why great photos change everything. And why the validation you're0 chasing from the outside world is the wrong place to be looking. (02:00) Melbourne Food and Wine Festival's core mission (11:15) Why Melbourne is a winnable choice for the world's best food festival (14:00) The power of Melbourne's grassroots food scene and local markets (30:20) Practical steps for venues to prepare for the next festival (34:10) Why festival events need a "clever twist" to be successful (44:15) The first rule of media engagement: being hospitable (56:00) The danger of seeking "exogenous validation" (awards, media) For a downloadable PDF of Pat’s tips and advice on navigating the media and how to pull of a great MFWF event, head to https://pax.melbourne/season-2-episode-7 [https://pax.melbourne/season-2-episode-7] To make sure you don’t miss out on any industry news, including key dates for the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival 2027, sign up to their industry only newsletter here: https://www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au/industry/ [https://www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au/industry/] If you're keen to understand how you can work with the team at Pax, get in touch hello@pax.melbourne.  If you're needing advice or want to discuss your business's current status, we highly recommend scheduling a call with Leon. It's just a chat and doesn't have to be anything more than that. We're here to listen and help where we can. Book a call here. [https://calendly.com/hello-pax/30-minute-call-clone ] Follow @pax.melbourne on social media. Podcast produced by Posterboy Media [http://www.posterboymedia.com.au/]