Dedes Waterfront Group

Hospitality isn’t just about providing a service – it’s about building real connections and delivering experiences that make people feel valued. My guests on The Mentor today, Con and Kerrie Dedes, have mastered the art and business of the hospitality game. As a dynamic husband-and-wife team, they’ve built the renowned Dedes Waterfront Group, operating seven iconic venues across Sydney’s waterfronts. Their focus on excellent food, outstanding service, and unforgettable experiences has set them apart. In this episode, we dive into Con Dedes's upbringing, his passion for hospitality passed down from his father, how he met Kerrie, and the pivotal moments that have shaped their business success. Tune in as we discuss what makes a venue truly great, the challenges of the industry, and what’s next for them. Listen Now on Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/ehHbnsJu Listen Now on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eQdxMrbR

The majority of hospitality operators that I know are super generous with their time and support for great causes. I was born with congenital heart disease (CoHD) as are eight babies every day. I am now honoured to be an ambassador for Heartkids Australia and Heart Research Australia. The advocacy piece is very important for any cause. At Dedes Waterfront Group we also advocate for other great causes. Little Legs Foundation is one which we are more than proud to support. Through various hospitality venues in Sydney from this Thursday (19th of Sept) to Sunday a lovely way to show some support is to go down to the particular sites and enjoy a cuppa in the memory of beautiful Alegra. It is a wonderful thing that the "spirit of generosity" extends from the largest of hospitality groups to the single outlet owner operators in our industry. Regardless of how biz is going in the economy. A very cool thing. #littlelegsfoundation #alegrasarmy #findacure #dedeswaterfrontgroup #childhoodbraincancerawareness #deckhouse #generosityofspirit

Adapting. Twenty eight years ago in 1996 our tenure began at The Sydney Rowing Club at Abbotsford Point. We started off with a restaurant offer - DEDES RESTAURANT and the bistro offer for our members and guests. The market over time has shifted and a collective decision was made after a twenty year tenure for the restaurant to convert the whole floor plate to our casual dining brand currently known as WATERGRILL and we haven't looked back. Whilst once upon a time we could sustain the two choices, today the market is telling us that this type of hybrid hospitality offering is super appealing and in turn reduces the variables for any given operation. We recently were successful in tendering for the hospitality UTS Haberfield Rowing Club and we created The REGATTA CLUB. Over the years at the site the club would try and cater for the formal market and also be there for the casual dining market. Super hard to be everything to everyone in a single format footprint. The decision to not alter the brand and stick to the pillars of casual dining and attracting informal events and milestones will not disenfranchise the purpose of our brand. Took thirty five years to cop the tip but we adapting as we evolve Dedes Waterfront Group #dedeswaterfrontgroup #businesssydney #adapting #evolution

Super cool, collaborating with local community and different business skill sets to compliment our industry. We reached out to Georgia Norton Lodge who lives and works in the inner west of Sydney assisting hospitality groups in various disciplines. Georgia and her team created the mural below at the entry of REGATTA CLUB bringing to life elements of the local community and the history of the asset - in this case the Haberfield Rowing Club. As a hospitality group we can easily consolidate a great deal of our business inputs, which makes metric sense with economies and so on, but the opportunity to engage local service providers should also be sought if the chance arises. The immediate default is a sense of community that it fosters and its natural multiplier effect and the goodwill BOOM that it generates. #localcommunity #dedeswaterfrontgroup #localskillsets #hospitality

Mentorship - along our journey at Dedes Waterfront Group I have been blessed with amazing mentors. Two stand outs were my father Stavros "look after your people son" Dedes and the CEO of where our first restaurant was at Canterbury Bankstown League Club, Mr John Ballesty, starting Dedes Restaurant in 1990 as a nineteen year old. As a mentee I am not sure if I always listened, but with the benefit of a fair whack of hindsight I know now that both my father and John had "been there and done that" and the best lessons were learning from my mistakes (and there were plenty) and leading and earning the respect of the people and stakeholders around Kerrie and myself - not expecting it. I feel that it is my honour now to pass onto whomever wants to listen but over and above that if the opportunity is appropriate within companies to have it as a structured part of the learning/training curve for all team members that would want to participate. It is such a cool thing to do and adapt the learning of the past to the contemporary mindset and practices of today. Will be forever grateful for the mentorship that I received and indeed for the knowledge that we can now give to our teams. Good Health and Good Business - Boom. #mentorship #fathersday #dedeswaterfrontgroup #mindsetoftoday

Once you fully understand your unique selling proposition in the market that you play in and revert all of your resource to nailing that day after day with your respective teams, success follows. Over the last thirty plus years we have had our share of wins and losses. The losses were the ones that we had to learn from and we did. Dedes Waterfront Group now has a set of pillars and boxes that we ideally would like to "tick" off before we look at any growth proposition. In our specific area of hospitality, proximity to water is paramount with spaces that execute wonderful experiences at every level. Alpha our most recent addition ticked everything and more - working on the water feature with the "fireys" opposite :). Diversifying the product range can be done whilst there is an abundance of complimentary attributes from site to site/product to product. Boom. #diversify #USP #winsandlosses #dedeswaterfrontgroup #teamwork

Two days ago Charli (team leader at WATERGRILL, The Sydney Rowing Club) and I were featured in a story by Karlie Rutherford in the Daily Telegraph about the decline from gratuities (tips) from our members and guests throughout our suite of hospitality venues. It stands to reason that if discretionary spends at all levels are declining (despite ABS stats to the contrary in our sector shown by recent quarterly reports) that guests may choose to not tip as generously. In the last thirty five years in this industry I have found and experienced that our guests will always be most appreciative of humble, respectful, warm and product knowledge based service. Thankfully that is the case mostly in OZ. Guests can show their individual appreciation with a bona fide sincere "thanks", a monetary sum or in some cases a thoughtful letter and/or gift. This segues into a response that I received from a near and dear friend about everyone in whatever forum being kind to each other irrespective of the industry and or field that we work or play in. Could not agree more. Whilst our hospitality teams are on the podium as being remunerated at some of the highest base rates in the world the cost of living in the best country in the world (obvious bias) is also very high. Speaking on behalf of the majority of my colleagues out there a gratuity in whatever form is always greatly appreciated. Boom. #dedeswaterfrontgroup #bekindtoeachother #hospitalitylove

So cool to collaborate with Foundation Theatres with our signature dining restaurants. It's a great way to enjoy Sydney at it's finest. Dinner and a show - the best way to go. BOOM. https://dedesgroup.com.au/ #businesssydney #dedeswaterfrontgroup #sala #flyingfish #alpha #lyrictheatre #capitoltheatre #ampleparking #dinnerandshow

One of the best things we have noticed over a period of time and especially since 2021 is the getting together of groups both socially celebrating milestones and of a corporate nature in a more micro setting. At Dedes Waterfront Group we are blessed to have an awesome variety of spaces, featuring a la carte or shared feasts. Allowing the opportunity to sit, relax and enjoy the culture and conversation amongst your friends, family and colleagues. Discover venues that feel like home, brought to you by our wonderful team. https://lnkd.in/gfvaDB8r #businesssydney #dedeswaterfrontgroup #privatedining #boom

Being Mr Roses I obviously love fragrance and I just experienced the Chanel Masterclass right next to one of my favourite restaurants , Alpha Greek Restaurant in Castlereagh St Sydney. Sign up for a masterclass. #chanel #alpharestaurant #mrroses