The team behind some of Australia's favourite restaurants, including Fitzroy's Marion Wine Bar, has a rare opportunity for a restaurant manager to take the helm and lead the venue into its next chapter. In partnership with Trader House, we speak to former Marion manager Luke Kristofski to find out what it takes to deliver on expectations at this iconic Melbourne restaurant.
It’s not often that a job is truly either career-defining or culturally significant – it’s even harder to picture a role that ticks both boxes. But when the chance to run an iconic Melbourne wine bar comes up, you can hang your hat on it changing the trajectory of your career.
As it enters its 10th year of operating, Fitzroy’s exemplary Marion Wine Bar is on the hunt for a new restaurant manager. The Gertrude Street staple has delighted diners with a considered yet approachable wine and food menu for the past decade and earned the right to call itself a Melbourne institution. You can’t call yourself a Melburnian (or truly say you’ve visited) if you haven’t turned day into night sipping sommelier-recommended drops out the front of Marion or celebrating a milestone inside with a cosy dinner.
Now, Marion is on the hunt for its next restaurant manager. To learn more about the opportunity and hear about the team’s internal workings, we caught up with former Marion restaurant manager Luke Kristofski.
“When I first joined the team, I had never been to Melbourne before,” Kristofski, originally from New Zealand, tells Scout. “The more research I did into Andrew [McConnell] and Jo [McGann’s] restaurants, the more I felt like it would be worth taking a punt. After my interview I was invited to join the team as an assistant manager at Supernormal – three years and some promotions later, here I am.”
Kristofski currently manages Gimlet, the group’s elegant CBD restaurant. His pathway there was built on internal training and promotions – after a stint at Supernormal, Kristofski was appointed assistant manager at Marion before being promoted to restaurant manager in 2023. He says the challenging nature of running a restaurant such as Marion is made easier and more enjoyable thanks to support from the broader team.
“Working here was, at first, a big reality check into how professional the hospitality industry can be and how to run things properly. But there’s so much talent and knowledge here to feast on,” he says. “The end-product here is really high level, but there's this grassroots approach to training and progression – you’re engaged in structured leadership and management training together with detailed food and beverage training and balancing that with constant check-ins and casual coffees or a chat with more experienced colleagues”.
There’s some responsibility that comes with running a venue with Marion’s reputation. The attention to detail, service style and consistency are all factors in the restaurant becoming one of Melbourne’s best during the last decade, and that’s been recognised by industry peers. A 2023 Wineslinger award and three glasses in the Wine List of the Year are among many of the restaurant’s accolades. Despite high expectations, Kristofski says that any pressure he felt in the role was alleviated quickly.
“I wasn’t sure about coming to work here at first because it was actually my favourite place to dine. Guests arrive with high expectations, there’s a heap of moving parts and it’s non-stop all day,” he says. “But the team here is just so good at what they do, so professional and it’s because of that training and preparation. We hire great people here and that makes the service flow smoothly no matter what gets thrown at you.”
Among Marion’s experienced former managers are Andrew Joy and Shane Lazzo – industry veterans who helped shape the restaurant’s identity and have built successful careers since. Joy was the opening manager and set the tone at Marion before going on to co-own Carlton Wine Room, while Lazzo steered the ship following stints at Di Stasio and Rockpool. Lazzo’s pathway from Fitzroy's Builders Arms Hotel to Marion put him in perfect stead to take the reins at Gimlet and Apollo Inn which he has been managing since they opened.
All staff have access to internal WSET training run by esteemed beverage director Leanne Altmann, which Kristofski also benefited from directly. His advice to Marion’s next restaurant manager? Allow the restaurant's pedigree and people to guide you.
“It’s important whenever you come into any new business at a senior level – particularly one like Marion – to trust that the people here know what they're doing, to listen to them and to seek their knowledge. There’s a reason it’s been so successful for so long,” he says. “Put your ear to the ground, come in with an open mind and you’ll find that it’s one of the best jobs you’ll ever have.”
Photography: Amy Hemmings
This article is produced by Scout Jobs in partnership with Trader House.
