Retail/Wholesale award
Dandenong Pavilion
Sponsor: Victorian South East Chamber Council (VSECC)
Taking over an iconic Dandenong business in 2016 was a step into the unknown for the Maroun family.
“It was daunting,” owner Joel Maroun said.
“We had both put everything we had on the line. We had created a totally novel venue and we left no stone unturned to build our reputation.”
The new managers of Dandenong Pavilion created a large, creative menu from scratch, focusing on the “ultimate dining experience” with large portions and all dietary requirements covered.
Dandenong Pavilion has since taken out many prestigious awards including being the top-ranked restaurant for best burgers in The Age Good Food Guide Awards 2022 and 2015-‘16.
Maroun says its staff are “as multicultural as Dandenong itself”.
“We integrated all these different backgrounds, cultures, languages, genders and religions into a well-oiled and formidable team.”
It has also managed to attract and retain staff despite an industry-wide Covid-era shortage. Many are siblings of staff from the former and the current regimes.
Much of this comes down to “karma at work” with the venue helping staff with personal issues such as family violence, immigration battles, gender transitioning and tax disputes.
“Our staff are loyal, motivated, well trained and looked after.
“They are an integral part of our business, and while there are changes to the personnel, the well-established culture and the management policies prevail, and create an unbeatable formula.”
The venue is also a sustainability leader that recycles large amounts of paper, cardboard, glass and plastic.
“For the past 10 years, we have harvested the rainwater and use this for cleaning, toilets and the garden.
“In 2021 we installed solar panels on our roof that save around 84,000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year.”
Dandenong Pavilion has also raised funds for Victorian bushfire relief and sponsors several local sport teams and community initiatives.
Manoun describes their 3500-plus customers a week as their “ambassadors”.
“If we provide what they seek, they support us.
“We operate in one of the toughest and most fickle of industries, where today everyone is a chef (or a wannabe chef).
“We are in the retail industry where we are judged not on our history necessarily, but on our last meal. This is tough because there is almost zero ability to rest upon our laurels.”
As a result, the venue occupies rare air on social media, with more than 4000 reviews at an average rating of more than 90 per cent.
Meanwhile, The Roe restaurant was highly commended in the category.
