By CASEY NEILL
GREATER Dandenong Chamber of Commerce unveiled its ‘new world order’ at its first breakfast for the year.
The event at Sandown Greyhounds in Springvale on 13 May marked the start of the Premier Regional Business Awards’ 25th and final year.
MC James Sturgess said four breakfast events would culminate in a finale celebration early next year, for which he has grand plans for a 500-guest dinner held in Greater Dandenong.
But rather than presenting three nominees for the Premier Regional Business Awards at each breakfast, Mr Sturgess will this year highlight a previous award winner and a new business.
Breakfasts next year will still highlight business success and foster networking, he said, but guest speakers would become a focus.
Dandenong Pavilion was the first previous winner put in the spotlight.
Owner Dani Zeini started the business in December 2006 on a Princes Highway site that had been home to a wedding venue and restaurants including Denny’s and The Keg.
Mr Zeini had been “bouncing from cafe to cafe” and decided to go out on his own.
“We just love being in the industry and we love the venue. We thought it had a lot of potential,” he said.
“I bit off more than I could chew.
“We had to change the culture of dining in Dandenong.
“We’re really lucky people respond to what we’re doing.”
They won the food category in the 2013 Victorian Australian Small Business Champion Awards and went on to win the national title.
“We just went there to have a weekend away in Sydney and a couple of free beers,” Mr Zeini said.
His focus had been on European food until a trip to the US sparked a burger awakening.
“I had a burger and it was just like a sledgehammer to the face,” he said.
The Pavilion also moved away from a pizza and pasta focus to avoid direct competition with the growing number of new eateries in Dandenong.
“If you want Italian, go to Beletti. If you want something else, come to us,” he said.
“We regularly have staff meetings at Ginger Jones. You need to have options.
“There’s plenty to go round, I think it’s really good for the area.”
Mr Zeini has opened two inner city venues and has a refurbishment planned for Dandenong.
New kid on the block Brendan D’Amelio and brother in law Bert Glinka opened specialty coffee shop Young Uncles in Thomas Street, Dandenong, last year.
They had used the cafe space for storage after purchasing neighbouring Uncles Smallgoods but were “struggling to find a decent coffee” and decided to make their own.
“We figured ‘if it doesn’t succeed we’ll get a good coffee anyway’,” Mr D’Amelio said.
Before buying Uncles from its retiring owners they had been working in the corporate world and running a food van at festivals on the side.
“We just weren’t really engaged in our professions,” Mr D’Amelio said.
“We were selling the sausages that we now produce.”
They now use almost 20 kilograms of coffee a week – after initially setting a goal of selling 50 coffees a week.
“We had very conservative numbers. They have been blown out of the water,” Mr D’Amelio said.
“Come on down and get your smallgoods.”
