Membership Report ANTHONY MCCONNON Membership and Corporate Relations Manager
In today’s economic climate, stories of hospitality businesses successfully operating for 20 years are few and far between. But that’s exactly the milestone that Robbie Marino from the Harbour Lights Café on Hobart’s Waterfront will achieve next month. Robbie took ownership of Harbour Lights in 1997 and in that time has used his extensive experience in hospitality to continue to evolve it into the award winning business it is today. Housed in a heritage building that dates back to the late 1800s, Harbour Lights today exudes charm and honesty and strives to deliver on its promise of an experience to be savoured. I recently caught up with Robbie and had a chat about his hospitality journey and what lies ahead. When speaking with Robbie the first thing you discover is that he is not the type of person who likes a fuss but his passion for his family, our industry and life in general is undeniable. Robbie has the skill of making every patron feel like they are the most important person in his venue. It’s not hard to work out why he is so successful. • Tell me about Robbie Marino today, wife, children, dog, cat, fish………….. I was born in Hobart, Tasmania in 1969 to parents Giovanni and Antonietta and was the youngest of five children. I come from a close family and have two brothers, Pompeo and Nick who lives in Sydney and two sisters, Maria and Francesca who lives in Melbourne. I married my wife Mary in 2006 on a beach on Hamilton Island and together we have three amazing children – Zara - 9, Jonni - 7 and Sienna - 4 – all of whom are mini foodies who are very capable in the kitchen! My children are all very aware of where their food comes from and we predominantly shop local and organic at home so they understand the seasonality of food which I think is important. I have always loved my sport and played soccer for years until I purchased Harbour Lights. I started following Manchester City in the English Premier League after my father gifted me a Manchester City top for my 7th birthday. I still have that top now and, in fact, my children took turns wearing it when City won the Premier League in 2014! I follow A.S Roma in the Italian League and those who know me, know that I have a real passion for my AFL team, Carlton, which I have been a member of for decades. I have passed this passion for the ‘Navy Blues’ onto all three of my kids and there is nothing I love better than when I have the chance to sit down and watch a game with them all dressed in their supporter gear hoping for a win! My love of sport has also been passed onto my kids and week nights and weekends are usually spent ferrying my older daughter and son to any one of their many sports matches – be it soccer, cricket, football, netball or basketball! My Italian heritage instilled in me a strong belief in the importance of culture and family and this is a big influence on my life today. • So Robbie, your parents came to Tasmania from Italy in the 1950’s and they were both amazing in the kitchen. Did you ever consider a career that wasn’t centered around food? Growing up in a large Italian family funnily enough, it was all about the food. I was always helping my parents make Italian sausages, passata or something related to food and watching my Uncle make
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Hospitality Review
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