Perseverance: If you have read my previous blog, you’d recall it was about cramming two days into one (18 hour work days) and that this was not an easy situation to plan. You may have to vary the timing on certain days in order for it to work effectively; but you must persevere at establishing … Continue reading Perseverance

Have you ever felt that there was no time left in the day to complete all the tasks necessary to conduct your business tasks? If you have ever wondered if there is a way to help offset this time poor scenario, I believe that I have the answer! Early in my hospitality career (all of … Continue reading Two Days in One Day

Most of us appreciate that our local watering hole is not only a place of enjoyment, but a gathering place for like minded individuals fostering community spirit. This couldn’t be truer than for most regional pubs in WA. With that being said, most licensed venues try and find ways to assist in fundraising efforts for … Continue reading Liquor Licensing: Fundraising

Tourists all around the world are looking for ways to spend their travel dollars. Western Australia needs to be doing more to make sure it’s spent here in our pubs, bars and hotels. When the Western Australian Government has little control over its revenue streams from iron ore royalties, the economic tipping point for our food and beverage, hotel and tourism sector has appeared on … Continue reading CEO’s Report – Tourists Spending in Western Australia

Progress is being made on the issue of penalty rates with a big win coming out of the Productivity Commission’s report that recommends Sunday penalty rates be removed for hospitality workers, aligning them with Saturday rates. The Commission believes lower regulated Sunday rates would increase opening hours and encourage higher staffing ratios and job opportunities – the AHA agrees. The AHA is pursuing a sensible … Continue reading CEO’s Report – Sunday Penalty Rates

Hi all, I am Sanya, Corporate Relations Manager for the AHA(WA) – in translation, I look after Corporate Members or our Industry Suppliers. My job is to make sure that suppliers we partner up with are happy, but equally so to provide them with opportunities over and above their membership where they can promote their … Continue reading AHA Industry Suppliers – Opportunities for All

The palace lights were dimmed and the ballroom came to life at the 2015 AHA Accommodation Industry Awards night. The guests were dolled up to the nines, with the Mesdames in their beautiful gowns and the Messieurs in their tuxedos. The champagne was flowing and the food simply divine from start to finish, but what, … Continue reading Matthew Hale at the 2015 Accommodation Ball

In the media of late there have been a number of cases concerning ‘out of hours conduct’ related dismissals at the Fair Work Commission (FWC). It may surprise some that in a few of these cases, it has been found that the employee was unfairly dismissed even with the evidence presented it may have seemed … Continue reading Staff Functions

WA Leader of the Opposition and prospective Premier, Hon. Mark McGowan MLA, talks licence approvals, conditions and objections and his vision for the future of Western Australian hospitality. We need more common sense when it comes to approvals, conditions and objections to liquor licences. Some of the State Government’s objections are nothing short of ludicrous. One recent example was Brotzeit, a German-themed restaurant chain … Continue reading Licence Objections Ludicrous

Path to Good Hospitality Financial Management Throughout my 49 years working the hospitality industry in both metropolitan & rural venues and as an industry consultant; one of the most important lessons I’ve learnt is that Gross Profit (GP) is a major key performance indicator (KPI) of the financial management of a business. My experience suggests … Continue reading The Importance of Gross Profit

One of the most frequent enquiries I receive has to do with the completion of an Incident Register Form. It appears that more often than not, staff at licensed venues are being advised by Police that they need to complete the Incident Register, even when no incident has occurred. You will find comfort in knowing … Continue reading Incident Register Form – When to Complete

It has been an exciting few weeks with the lead up to the AHA (WA) Accommodation Industry Gala Ball. The Award submissions have been collated, the judging has finished and it’s approaching that time to announce who the winners are for 2015. With so much preparation underway for what will be a royal extravaganza nothing … Continue reading Guillaume Brahimi’s Signature Menu – Accommodation Ball 2015

We (the AHA(WA)) will commence delivering the new elective units MLP2 and MLP3 from 31 August 2015 onwards. The licensing authority’s (DRGL) minimum training requirement for new licensees and new unrestricted approved managers is the completion of the core unit MLP1 of the Course in Management of Licensed Premises (52473WA). While the minimum requirement for … Continue reading Upgrading MLP1 Qualifications to MLP2 or MLP3

Although drinking alcohol or indeed smoking, gambling, fast food or cycling without a helmet may not be for everyone; one Senator is leading the fight against nanny state regulators who want to protect Australians from themselves. Liberal Democrats Senator David Leyonhjelm has launched a Senate Inquiry that will examine laws and regulation that “restrict personal … Continue reading Nanny State advocates to be probed by Senate Committee

Amongst a night of great food and beverage, it was my great pleasure to announce the 2015 Winners of the WA Hospitality Supplier Awards Industry Achievement Award.  This Award is considered such a prestigious award as it recognises and celebrates the contribution made by icons of our industry. This year, our joint winners were a … Continue reading Denis & Tricia Horgan Awarded AHA Industry Achievement

Hi All, In the AHA(WA) Training Department, one of the most popular FAQ’s we receive is from trainees that need to know where to get their Approved Manager ID card. See below for my answer! I need to get my Approved Manager ID card, do I get that from the AHA? The Approved Manager ID card is … Continue reading Approved Manager Questions – Getting Your ID Card

Members should be aware of the Restaurant Industry Award 2010 (RIA) changes that have come into effect from the beginning of 2015. District Allowances Clause 25.2 of the RIA specifies allowances in certain regional areas to employees. This ceased on 31st December 2014. The RIA states that it is no longer a requirement for businesses in areas specified under … Continue reading Restaurant Industry Award 2010 (RIA) – Changes

There appears to be an attitude in a small number of Western  Australian Government Agencies that it’s ok to place their Ministers and the Government in embarrassing and difficult situations. The recent examples include some Healthway staff and Board members use of corporate facilities for personal use and the decision of the Public Transport Authority (PTA) to  unilaterally cancel the late night train … Continue reading CEO’s Report – Healthway and Late Night Trains