Casa Cibo, Brisbane

The latest venue from rawGROUP is expertly Italian…

Casa Cibo takes the flavours and feel of authentic Italian home-cooked meals shared around the kitchen table but makes it part of an expertly crafted restaurant experience. After developing 16 venues, Casa Cibo (Italian for “home food”) is a return home of sorts for rawGROUP directors and brothers Nick and Adrian Rosato.

The restaurant occupies two tiers in the heart of the Westfield Chermside entertainment and leisure complex in Brisbane. An award-worthy fit out from renowned hospitality design guru Paul Papadopoulos features two wood-fired Stefano Ferrera ovens at its centre and premium SKOPE refrigeration used throughout its two bars and kitchen.

"SKOPE is a very important part of the picture because we need concepts that work on many levels – our venues need to be labour-efficient and maintenance-efficient, and we need the confidence that the equipment we choose can be relied upon."

It also contains a separate café lounge and the main restaurant space - all ensconced in a subtle mix of the contemporary and the classically Italian - while Executive Chef Joey Goldman delivers a hearty menu that makes the most of local produce. But none of it would be possible without the support and input of experts in each area of its development.

“We’ve been in the industry 20 years and we’re fast approaching $100 million a year turnover. We’ve been doing this a long time. But the key to it all has been surrounding ourselves with good people,” Nick says. As well as continuing rawGROUP’s association with Paul Papadopoulos and his DS17 design agency, Nick and Adrian worked closely with Andrew Pheely, the general manager of Scentre Group (which runs Westfield operations in Australia and New Zealand) to realise the opportunity.

“We’d always wanted to have an Italian concept because the very first venue we opened was a small Italian coffee shop and we come from an Italian family. But at the same time Andrew was looking for a specific Italian concept,” Nick says. “We got talking about how there aren’t really too many good Italian venues that have lasted. There are plenty of good ideas out there but you have got to be able to make them a commercial reality. And that’s where we started with Casa Cibo.” 

As with all rawGROUP restaurants, what sets Casa Cibo apart is quality food delivered in a unique experience.

“We’re giving people a fantastic venue and next level food that you just couldn’t produce at home, but it all has to be done in an atmosphere of fun and relaxed sharing - that’s what Italian food is about. “There are a million Italian restaurants out there so you’ve got to be able to create something that offers people an experience. And that’s why we invest a lot in our fit outs to give people a fantastic experience.”

Alongside DS17 and Westfield, rawGROUP turned again to SKOPE for specialist expertise to help ensure the fresh quality of the produce at Casa Cibo with equipment that met both the restaurant’s design aesthetics and its need for long-term reliability. “SKOPE is a very important part of the picture because we need concepts that work on many levels – our venues need to be labour-efficient and maintenance-efficient, and we need the confidence that the equipment we choose can be relied upon.”

"How many SKOPE fridges have we installed over the years? If you’re talking about all the multi-tiered bars, all the kitchens, all the coffee areas, I couldn’t hazard a guess"

As with previous venues, Nick tapped into the expertise of Craig Plunkett, SKOPE’s Queensland and Northern Territory Regional Sales Manager. “Craig worked with us from very early on to help us look at the best options for each space and answer questions around design choices and logistics. We really enjoy the fact that we can sit down with Craig to tap his expertise, it makes everything so much easier.

“Of course, in the early days we looked at price and worried about everything else second. But that doesn’t work for long – you need quality equipment and back-up, and confidence in the equipment. “And that confidence is provided by Craig also, by helping us put in the right equipment at the right time.”

Craig met the team on-site with Dane Nicholson, director of the Hospitality Superstore, to work-out a tailored package that included:

• 4 x Backbar Series fridges
• 2 x Counterline Series bar fridges
• 5 x Pegasus Series food prep fridges

“It’s a great working relationship, because after working with rawGROUP for five years - across seven venues – we know what they expect in terms of quality and service, and we know what to advise,” Dane says.

“We love working with Nick and Adrian because they recognise our experience and passion, and seek experts in each field. Like SKOPE, our company has been on the scene since the 1940s, so we can attest to the difference that working with the right people makes when developing a restaurant.”

After 16 venues, Nick and Adrian at rawGROUP continue to return to the experts they trust, and Casa Cibo has been no different. “How many SKOPE fridges have we installed over the years? If you’re talking about all the multi-tiered bars, all the kitchens, all the coffee areas, I couldn’t hazard a guess,” Nick says.

“It would be many.”