Melbourne Hospitality People

What Melbourne Hospitality People does

Melbourne Hospitality People (trading as MHP, legal entity Amello Pty Ltd) is a privately held, family-owned hospitality company operating five venues across Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 2005 with the opening of Republica St Kilda Beach, the portfolio has expanded to include Encore St Kilda Beach (2011, weddings and events), Captain Baxter (2012, beachside restaurant and bar), Mr McCracken (2017, Essendon Fields), and Toorak Hotel (2023, heritage gastro pub). The company operates through a direct-to-consumer, event-driven go-to-market model, serving corporate event clients, wedding couples, leisure diners, and local patrons across Melbourne suburbs of St Kilda, Essendon Fields, and Toorak.

The company delivers hospitality services through owned physical venues at premium locations, including waterfront positions at the St Kilda Sea Baths complex. Underlying technology infrastructure comprises third-party hospitality SaaS integrations: Tripleseat for private event management, SevenRooms for restaurant reservations, NowBookIt for gift voucher commerce, Eventbrite for wellness event ticketing, and Victorian Government QR code integration for COVID-Safe compliance. Product offerings span restaurant and bar service, function and event venue hire (Encore's capacity is 300 seated or 700 cocktail-style), curated dining packages (e.g., Captain Baxter Long Lunch at $99 per person), gift vouchers (3-year validity), and community wellness programming (rooftop yoga, meditation, beach cleanups).

The revenue model is primarily transactional, derived from food and beverage sales across the five venues and function/event venue hire with bespoke menu creation. Pricing follows pay-as-you-go unit pricing on per-person packages, with variable-denomination gift vouchers serving as both a gifting channel and working capital buffer. The company is led by Part Owners Angela (Director, 17 years tenure) and Amara (HR Manager, 17 years tenure), with long-tenured senior sales coordinators and acclaimed chefs including Hamish Gould and Executive Chef Matthew Dawson. No external investors, parent company, or public listing has been disclosed.

Name

Melbourne Hospitality People

Legal name

Amello Pty Ltd

Website

https://melbournehospitality.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Melbourne Hospitality People is a family-owned Australian hospitality group operating five venues across Melbourne — Republica, Captain Baxter, Encore St Kilda, Mr McCracken, and Toorak Hotel — serving corporate events, weddings, and casual diners via event-driven direct-to-consumer operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospitality Venue Services

NAICS

Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Caterers (722320), Caterers (72232)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Occasion & Destination Restaurants (THAFACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hotel & Resort Banqueting (In-House Catering) (THAHAKAC), Specialty & Historic Venues (Landmarks, Estates) (THAHAAAK), Rooftop Bars & Beach/Pool Bars (THAFAEAJ)

Keywords

• Hospitality venue operations
• Function and event hosting
• Restaurant and bar services
• Corporate event catering
• Waterfront wedding venues

Headquarters

HQ city

St Kilda

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Food & Beverage Sales: Core revenue from restaurant, bar, and cafe operations across 5 venues offering breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks service. Menus include modern Australian cuisine, seafood with Asian influences, and classic pub fare.
2. Function & Event Venue Hire: Revenue from hosting events including Christmas parties, birthday celebrations, corporate launches, weddings (especially at Encore), and formal affairs. Bespoke menus created for events.
3. Gift Vouchers: Sale of gift vouchers for venues (e.g., Captain Baxter), valid for 3 years from issue date, redeemable for dining and experiences. Sent by email with tracking capability.
4. Bottomless Brunch Packages: Curated dining packages such as Captain Baxter Long Lunch at $99 per person including 3-hour experience with bottomless drinks and share plates for groups of 4-20 people.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Melbourne Hospitality People operates a portfolio of five hospitality venues across Melbourne offering restaurant, bar, and event services. The venues include Republica St Kilda Beach (casual beachside dining), Captain Baxter (rooftop beach bar with Asian-influenced seafood), Encore St Kilda Beach (waterfront weddings and corporate events), Mr McCracken (Essendon Fields restaurant and bar), and Toorak Hotel (heritage gastro pub). The group also provides dedicated function and corporate event services with bespoke menus, audio-visual equipment, and tailored event coordination across all venues.

Product overview

Melbourne Hospitality People operates a portfolio of five distinct hospitality venues across Melbourne, including beachside restaurants (Republica, Captain Baxter), an events venue (Encore St Kilda Beach), an inner-suburban restaurant (Mr McCracken), and a heritage gastro pub (Toorak Hotel). The company also offers dedicated function and corporate event facilities with professional event planning services, bespoke menu creation, and audio-visual capabilities across all venues. Additional offerings include gift voucher programs and wellness events featuring rooftop yoga and meditation sessions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Republica St Kilda Beach Iconic St Kilda beach restaurant and bar located within the St Kilda Sea Baths, offering relaxed dining, drinks, live music, and beachside courtyard with stunning ocean views. Multi-purpose venue with event spaces for various needs.
• Captain Baxter Modern rooftop beach bar at St Kilda Sea Baths featuring a retractable roof, panoramic beach views, seafood-focused menu with Asian influences, and Melbourne's best outdoor deck. Caters for a broad range of occasions with experienced events coordinators.
• Encore St Kilda Beach Modern waterfront weddings and events venue boasting spectacular views over Port Phillip Bay, with capacity for 300 seated or 700 cocktail-style events, versatile modern interiors, stylishly curated packages, and a spectacular rooftop terrace for outdoor ceremonies.
• Mr McCracken Restaurant and bar situated beneath Hyatt Place in Essendon Fields, offering open plan dining with modern industrial decor, spacious outdoor areas with rock fireplace, and sommelier-curated wine collection.
• Toorak Hotel Historic gastro pub established in 1854, offering elevated pub classics with public bar and spacious dining room, located in Toorak and Hawksburn area. Iconic corner building with multi-era history.
• Melbourne Function Venues & Corporate Event Facilities Dedicated events team providing tailor-made event planning across all MHP venues, including bespoke menu creation, audio-visual equipment, outdoor breakout spaces, and specialist event coordination for Christmas parties, birthdays, corporate events, weddings, and celebrations.
• Gift Vouchers Gift voucher program available across all MHP venues, valid for 3 years from date of issue, sent by email with tracking capability, redeemable for dining and experiences.
• Wellness Events (Yoga, Meditation, Beach Cleanups) Wellness programming at St Kilda Sea Baths rooftop including Sacred Silence Saturdays breathwork sessions, Feel Good Flows Sunday yoga, and community beach cleanups in partnership with 3182 Beach Patrol.
• Captain Baxter Long Lunch Package 3-hour long lunch experience at Captain Baxter at $99 per person with bottomless drinks and share plates, designed for groups of 4-20 people.
• Mother's Day Bottomless Brunch Two-hour bottomless brunch at $89 per person with free-flowing cocktails, wine, and beer alongside share-style feast. Includes complimentary glass of bubbles for mums.

Quantifiable outcome

• Venues can host up to 300 seated or 700 cocktail style guests (Encore)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Twilight Beach PolocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2024Captain Baxter is a founding partner of the Twilight Beach Polo event held on West Beach, St Kilda. The venue serves as the Official Afterparty venue for the annual polo event, hosting post-polo celebrations with DJs, bottle service, and cocktails. Partnership includes team sponsorship and exclusive afterparty access for VIPs and polo attendees.
• St Kilda Skyline Ferris WheelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCross-promotional partnership offering 30% discount on Ferris Wheel tickets for guests who dine at Republica or Captain Baxter. Collaborative marketing around events like Formula 1 Grand Prix.
• City of Port PhillipminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRepublica St Kilda Beach participated in The City of Port Phillip's 'Dessert First' campaign, a collaboration with food journalist Wendy Hargreaves, funded by Victorian Government Outdoor Eating and Entertainment program grant.
• Feel Good FlowsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWellness provider hosting rooftop yoga, meditation, and breathwork sessions at St Kilda Sea Baths Rooftop (location of Captain Baxter and Republica). Sessions include Sacred Silence Saturdays and Sunday Feel Good Flows community yoga classes.
• 3182 Beach PatrolminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMonthly beach cleanup group meeting at St Kilda beachfront. After cleanup activities, volunteers often refuel at local cafes including Republica, supporting community sustainability initiatives.
• Kite Republic (KR)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerKR Social Night held monthly at Republica for kiteboarding, wing foiling, and stand-up paddleboarding enthusiasts. Republica provides venue for community water sports networking events with first drink free for KR tee wearers.
• Chandon (Moet Hennessy)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerChandon Garden Spritz Official Launch Party hosted at Captain Baxter with Chef Hamish Gould creating paired dishes. Ongoing partnership for Chandon events and promotions at beachside venues.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Australian Venue Co. One of Australia's largest multi-venue hospitality operators with a portfolio of pubs, bars, and restaurants across Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth. Closely comparable in operating a multi-venue, multi-format portfolio under a single management group with events capability.
• Showtime Event Group: Melbourne-based event venue operator running flagship spaces like Showtime Events Centre and St Kilda Town Hall for weddings, corporate functions, and large-scale events. Directly comparable in targeting the same Melbourne events market, particularly in the St Kilda precinct.
• Hunter St. Hospitality: Australian hospitality group operating a portfolio of restaurants and event venues including Nine Events, Lûmé, and P.J. O'Brien's. Directly comparable in operating multi-format venues with dedicated events business and Melbourne presence.
• Atlantic Group: Melbourne-based multi-venue hospitality and events operator (including Twelve Apostles, Atlantic Events, The Point). Directly comparable in operating premium waterfront venues, large-scale corporate events and weddings with bespoke event coordination across a portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Rockpool Dining Group: Australian premium hospitality group founded by Neil Perry operating high-end restaurants and bars across Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth. Comparable in operating destination dining venues with private dining and event capabilities at the premium end of the market.
• Merivale: Sydney-headquartered hospitality group operating 70+ venues including restaurants, bars, hotels and event spaces. Comparable in operating a diversified multi-venue portfolio with strong event and function capability, although primarily Sydney-focused rather than Melbourne.
• Solotel: Sydney-based hospitality group with a portfolio of restaurants, bars, and event venues. Comparable in operating premium, multi-format venues under a single brand umbrella with centralised events and marketing functions.

Regional players

• The Point Group (Melbourne): Hospitality group operating premium waterfront venues in Melbourne. Comparable in operating destination restaurants and event spaces with similar positioning around Melbourne's waterfront leisure market.
• Van Haandel Group (Stokehouse): Melbourne hospitality group operating Stokehouse and other venues focused on premium waterfront dining and events. Comparable as a Melbourne waterfront restaurant and events operator with similar beachside positioning and event hosting focus.

Emerging players

• ID Events & Hospitality (ID Collective): Melbourne hospitality group with a portfolio of bars, restaurants and event venues. Comparable as a smaller multi-venue operator targeting similar corporate events, weddings, and casual dining segments in Melbourne.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/melbourne-hospitality-people

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Melbourne Hospitality People