Can North Sydney Council run a poolside cafe with 157 seats? We’re about to find out

When North Sydney Olympic Pool reopens next month, the new 157-seat cafe will be run by North Sydney Council, and some experienced local hospitality operators are wondering whether council has bitten off more than it can chew. 

What happened: On August 7, North Sydney Olympic Pool will reopen to the public. Opening on the same day is a massive commercial undertaking: a 157-seat cafe, run by North Sydney Council at the pool.

Council was initially open to leasing the cafe out to a private operator, but after receiving only two expressions of interest, made the call to let its own in-house team run the cafe. 

One of the submissions, from Sydney Hospitality Group, was rejected.

Spoilt for choices: Prior to closing for redevelopment, there were two hospitality venues at the pool: Ripples Milsons Point, a cafe on the ground floor, and Aqua Dining, a fine dining restaurant overlooking the pool at its western end. 

Both were operated by Sydney Hospitality Group, a company with upmarket venues across the city. Both venues will again welcome customers when the pool reopens. 

Big business: The proposed capacity for the council-run cafe — 33 indoor seats and 124 outdoor seats — exceeds many popular North Sydney cafes. Eight Ate, for example, has a capacity of 60, while The North Spoon on Blues Point Road has room for 70. 

Kristina Kontogiannis, a manager at Eight Ate, told the Lorikeet a cafe of the size proposed would need to be on their A-game to stay afloat.

“Customer service is at the forefront of everything when it comes to success in hospitality”, she said. “You're going to need really good service, you need people who care about their customers. To do that with over 100 people, with a brand new team, they’re going to have some teething problems.”  

One lower North Shore cafe owner was blunt in their assessment, telling the Lorikeet: "It's too big.”

Another suggested council was “dreaming”.

Staff trouble: Alessandro Sciaccaluga, owner of North Spoon cafe, said the biggest challenge for council would be staffing. 

“From an operational point of view … 157 seats, that’s a lot of staff,” he said. “You’ve got to have a good chef, a good second in charge, a good head barista and a good restaurant manager.”

According to a North Sydney Council spokesperson, the cafe venture will be funded out of the pool's larger operating budget. 

Sciaccaluga and Kontogiannis said they were not surprised only two businesses pursued the pool lease, as the capacity meant taking on significant financial risk.