Stop guessing.
Start knowing.

Over the last 12 months, the venue generated $5.42M in revenue while paying $586K in rent, representing 10.8% of total revenue. Under the proposed increase, annual rent would rise to approximately $699K, lifting occupancy costs to 12.9%.

Comparable full-service hospitality venues operating between $4M–$7M annual turnover currently average occupancy costs between 8.5% and 10.5%.

During the same period, revenue increased 2.7%, however labour costs increased 11.2%, utilities increased 14.6%, and net operating profit declined 6.4%.

Based on current trading performance and industry benchmarks, HORIZON does not believe the proposed increase is commercially sustainable in its current form.

Based on the last 30 days of trading, here are the five highest-priority items for the agenda — each one tied to a specific number worth raising with the team.

1. Wine attach rate climbed from 19% to 31%. Acknowledge the change, name the staff doing it well, hold the behaviour.

2. Dessert mention is being skipped on busy passes. Spend per cover dropped $2.40 on weeknights. A 30-second prompt at the right moment recovers this.

3. Discount leakage is up $1,840 (+12%). Three staff members account for 64% of the comps. Coaching conversation, not a policy change.

4. Tuesday and Wednesday lunches are over-staffed by one FOH. Averaging 41 covers against 65 rostered — costing approximately $640/week.

5. Friday close-down running 45 minutes long. Last table out at 11:00pm, FOH clocking out around 11:50pm. Quiet leak that adds up.

HORIZON can expand any of these into talking points, or add the remaining five items if you want a full 10-point handout.

Tonight is a Friday. Pacing across the last two Fridays plus current bookings suggests roughly 68 covers, weighted heavily to 6:30–8:00pm. Two tables of 8 in the back room.

What to push: the spring lamb (best contribution margin of any main this quarter) and the by-the-glass Pinot, which is up 22% over the fortnight and pairs naturally with the lamb.

Where the venue is underperforming: spend per cover on weeknights has slipped $2.40, almost entirely from dessert and second-round drinks being skipped on busy passes.

What the team should know: discount comps are running 14% above the previous fortnight. Run any new ones past the floor manager before the shift starts.

HORIZON believes a tight first push followed by deliberate dessert and second-round prompts after mains is the highest-impact behaviour for tonight.

Over the last 12 months, the venue sold 14,820 glasses across 18 by-the-glass lines, generating $312K in BTG revenue (27% of total wine sales). Reds account for 64%, whites 28%, sparkling and other 8%.

Working: the Heathcote Shiraz (top-selling glass, 2,140 pours), the Tasmanian Pinot Gris (highest margin per pour), and the chillable Beaujolais introduced in March (29% attach rate to mains).

Not working: the Margaret River chardonnay is down 42% over 90 days, and the Riesling has averaged fewer than 2 pours per week for 4 months. Both occupy prime positions on the list.

Missing: no premium glass option above $22 despite 31% of mains attaching a wine — guests are paying for it.

HORIZON recommends replacing the chardonnay and Riesling, adding one premium pour, and holding the rest of the list through summer before further changes.

Sales are not the issue. Revenue is up 5.7% against the previous 30 days. The feeling you're describing is real, and it's coming from three smaller shifts compounding.

1. Net operating profit is down 4.2% despite higher revenue. Discount leakage rose $1,840 (+12%) and supplier costs on two high-volume mains lifted $3.10 and $2.40 per portion respectively.

2. Midweek bookings dropped 18%. Tuesday and Wednesday dinner covers are running 22 below average. The shortfall is offset by stronger weekends, but it's pulling labour efficiency down on those days.

3. Average review rating slipped from 4.7 to 4.5. Recurring theme across the dip: slow mains delivery on Thursday and Friday between 7:30–8:15pm.

HORIZON believes the highest-leverage fix is the kitchen pacing issue on Thursday and Friday — it's affecting both guest satisfaction and weeknight repeat rate. The discount and supplier items can be addressed in the next menu review.

Over the last 90 days, the venue served 14,460 covers against 13,210 in the prior 90 days — a 9.5% increase in volume. Revenue grew 7.1%, but net operating profit declined 2.8%.

The gap between volume and profit is coming from three places:

1. Spend per cover dropped from $61.20 to $58.40. Lower wine attach on the new midweek volume and fewer second-round drinks across all services.

2. Labour costs grew 11.4% against 7.1% revenue growth. Most of the extra hours went into Tuesday and Wednesday lunches, which remain over-staffed for the cover count.

3. COGS percentage rose 1.6 points. Two suppliers lifted prices and the menu hasn't been re-priced. Discount leakage also up 12%.

HORIZON believes the issue is not demand — it's that the new volume is being acquired at a lower-margin profile while costs scale faster than revenue. Re-pricing affected menu items and tightening Tue/Wed lunch staffing would recover most of the gap.