Jacob Crooke, co-owner and head chef at JJ's on the Marina, took time out of his busy schedule to talk about his success with the well known Batemans Bay eatery.
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The conversation that started over the phone, was later continued in person. What was striking, meeting Jacob, was his youth, given the depth of his experience and the insights he shared.
An old head on young shoulders, or is that what a life in hospitality does?
He admitted he was "born and bred" into hospitality.
"Geza Slezak, my grandfather was a nationwide renowned chef in Canberra, and my mum pushed me to be a chef," he said.
"He was very famous in Canberra for his chef skills and moved around the world with my mum when she was younger, places like Canada and France... and helped open up new hotels."
Geza worked with The Rex in Canberra during the 1970s, with Old Parliament House and then New Parliament House, as well as having a part in writing the Canberra Institute of Technology cooking curriculum.
Jacob said his grandfather passed away when Jacob was five years old, and that he had limited memory of him, but that his legacy lived on with Jacob following the dream.
In a moment of reflection he was unsure how wise that was given the unrelenting nature of being a chef and running restaurants.
"I left school when I was 15 and started an apprenticeship locally and then moved to Canberra when I was 16 and started my second year up there," he said.
"By third and fourth year apprenticeship I was at a place called Aubergine, in Griffith, and Courgette, in the city... qualified when I was 18 and moved back to the Bay when I was 20."
What followed was an experience that probably shaped Jacob's business approach as much as working in the pressure zones of commercial kitchens.
Jacob and his father went into the removals business together, with a company called Coastland Removals, and later Your Removals.
He said this not only taught him how to run a business, but that it afforded him the opportunity to see all "different types of people - all the different types of socio-economic groups" around Australia
"Yeah I got a pretty good understanding of how the public thinks in stressful times - that's what I took away from doing removals," he said.
Jacob believed it also provided valuable insights into the "geographical advantage of Batemans Bay".
"Nine years ago [Batemans Bay] was missing something for people in Canberra," he said.
"At the end of the day knowing Canberra was right there, 450,000 people there, and we are just south of Sydney - the biggest thing you can do as a local [business] is to capitalise on that."
From 2015 to 2016, Jacob, with brothers David and Daniel, opened JJ's at the Marina, JJ's at Batehaven, JJ's Fish Shop and JJ's at the Moorings.
By 2018, Daniel took over JJ's at the Moorings and it became Smokey Dans, Tomakin. Brother David returned to carpentry and Jacob and Jess continued with JJ's on the Marina.
Open from Tuesday to Sunday and employing eight chefs, the establishment is a mainstay of Batemans Bay.
Over a busy period such as Easter, operating Friday, Saturday and Sunday until lunch time, JJ's can serve 2500-3000 customers.
His staff were crucial to the success of his business, and Jacob estimated over the nine years they have employed 700-800 staff. He believed his kitchen had a great workplace culture right now.
"You have to go through a lot to find the right people, and the right people are the ones with heart and loyalty," he said.
"That's what it really comes down to. It doesn't really matter about skill level - skill level can be taught."
Jacob was adamant one restaurant was enough, but there were plans to host a nightclub on the premises, perhaps once a month.
The plan was to close the restaurant early on a Saturday evening, clear the seating and get ready for a 7pm to midnight DJ set and dance floor.
He said early feedback from the community was "overwhelmingly supportive".
"The whole restaurant will be emptied out, lights and speakers will be placed in there, and down at the other little area, down at the tree there will be a cocktail bar, so a chillout area," he said.
