Alisa Newey lives and breathes Brisbane’s café and restaurant scene so much that her firm Renew Design has become a world leader in making hospitality spaces truly memorable. The designer and author of Open Restaurants that Flourish promises to share her secrets at Café Talks, and gives us a taste here…

Shifting city
It was during a visit to Brisbane some years back that Alisa realised something big was about to happen to the city. She’d been working in Europe for large architecture firms, “but I came back and saw what was going on, how the laneways were changing and different places were constantly popping up, and I wanted to be part of it”.

Starting small
She returned to learn how design could improve the city’s cafes. “I went door to door of cafes to look at what was working and what wasn’t. I learnt very quickly that most of their problems were when they were starting out, so I really needed to be talking to them earlier.”

What’s remarkable?
Alisa sees a city bursting with possibilities. The explosion of new venues has increased competition and quality, she says. But what makes a restaurant flourish, what makes the hospitality experience truly memorable? “It’s everything that goes into the experience. It’s the marketing in the lead up to opening, the word of mouth that passes around, what’s shown online, the actual service you experience and it’s even what happens as you’re leaving. It has to be worth remarking upon for it to be memorable.”

The deal
To hear Alisa’s insights, please register at www.cafeculture.com/café-biz. Get in quick as Alisa will also be giving away 50 free copies of her book Open Restaurants that Flourish at Café Biz. The book is not yet available online but readers can join the prelaunch list at http://renewdesign.com.au/open-restaurants-that-flourish/ to be first in line for their copy of the book and receive the first two chapters for free.