By RUSSELL BENNETT
GEMBROOK residents have for years been calling out for a top-quality restaurant to revitalise the town’s main street.
And ‘The Independent’ has answered their prayers.
Just three months after throwing open its doors, the restaurant and bar has had a huge impact on the town centre – drawing customers from throughout Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs even during the quiet midweek period.
Where Main Street was once quiet and desolate, it’s now fast becoming a hive of activity.
“We expected to be busy, the research that we did all led us to being busy” said head chef and co-owner Mauro Callegari.
“But I think this is a lot more.”
It’s part bar, part restaurant, and part Argentinian dining hall – heavily influenced by Mr Callegari’s heritage.
It showcases prime local produce, craft beer and boutique wines at an affordable price and has already made good on its promise to utilise local growers and boost employment in the town.
“From my perspective, being a local resident, this place has really had a positive effect on the town and really breathed new life back into it,” said Bobby Gordon, whose family is also part of The Independent’s ownership group .
“As for the Gordon family being part-owners with Mauro and Lil (Gray), we couldn’t be more proud of them and the way they’ve gone about it – the way they’ve integrated into the community, and the way the community has embraced them.
“They’re working tremendously hard and they’re doing a great job.”
The feedback The Independent has received so far has been particularly positive, and Mr Gordon said that came back to the team Mr Callegari had built.
“The staff are excellent,” he said.
“There’s probably 20 people on the payroll – a mixture of full-time and part-time – and it’s a great joy seeing the young kids in there learning from Mauro.”
Mr Callegari’s resume speaks for itself. Now living with his family in Cockatoo, he started working in his mother’s restaurant in Buenos Aires.
Since then he has travelled the world, working in five star restaurants in Argentina and Michelin Star restaurants in London, before settling in Australia and working alongside the likes of Marcus Moore at the Sofitel, and Raymond Capaldi at Fenix in Richmond.
He was also the head chef of the Yarra Valley’s Mandala Restaurant, and recently ran the kitchen at Black Rock’s True South Restaurant and Brewery.
“We’ve been self-sustainable in the first three months and in the restaurant industry it’s very rare to see that – it just doesn’t happen often,” Mr Callegari explained.
“Most restaurants can go up to two years losing (money), or operating at a loss. For us, starting on the positive side has given us the chance to employ more people, train the staff and also do good things when it comes to giving back to the community.”
And with the nearby Gembrook pub under new ownership and set to re-open, the town is fast becoming a must when it comes to sampling hills hospitality.
Mr Gordon credited the Cardinia Shire Council for sharing his family’s vision for the town.
“When Councillor Tania Baxter saw that we got the plans approved and that we were opening, she said she saw this as an ignition point for Gembrook and I can really see that being the case,” he said.
“There’s now a lot of positive development in the pipeline around the town.
“Gembrook is such a lovely drive from Pakenham and Berwick. It’s documented that you’re going to have Canberra down there eventually – the population is going to be enormous – so it’s great to see this town starting to move too.”
Some of Mr Callegari’s peers went as far as only giving The Independent three months to survive when it first opened. They didn’t give it a chance.
“A lot of people said I was crazy, but we knew the community here,” he said.
“It just brings a huge sense of pride for everyone involved with this place. Every single person involved in the business put something of their own into it.”
