Starting a brand new business in the middle of a global pandemic may seem crazy to some - but for the team behind The Crazy Duck at George Town, it's proved to be a recipe for success.
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Located at the York Cove Holiday Hotel in the old Sea Cat Tasmania terminal on Ferry Boulevard, the mixture of a good team, good menu and great location is what executive chef Rob Johnston attributes with their success.
A busy year capped off by taking out three categories at the Tasmanian Hospitality Association's Awards for Excellence night in June - winning Regional Restaurant of the Year, Best Restaurant in a Pub, Hotel or Accommodation Venue, and Best Specialty Restaurant.
"We went in with zero expectations, we just thought we'd enter because we've only been open 11 months, to walk away with 3 was phenomenal," Mr Johnston said.
"We sat there at the beginning of the dinner, looked at each other and our words were 'we're stuffed'. We looked at each other and we looked at who was there, you had Don from Mudbar, you had Karen from Cataract on Paterson, you had the guys from Stillwater, Macq01, all the big guys there... and we thought we're done.
"We went up against all of the staples of the north of the state, some of the guys who've been around for a long time and are well regarded and well rewarded, and we managed to take out the wins."
Putting the team together involved a lot of interviewing, but something well worth the effort according to Mr Johnston.
"A lot of filtering, and a large percentage of our staff have been here from day dot," he said.
It is hospitality, we are full of misfits ... but that's what it's all about, everyone owns what they do, everyone has input into what we do and how we do it, and that gives everyone ownership over the end product.
- The Crazy Duck executive chef Rob Johnston
"It's the old quiet achiever theory - we kick back, we do our own thing, we stick to our guns and we make sure that our offering is different to what the general population is doing, and it works."
The Crazy Duck specialises in their proteins being cooked over charcoal, with a rotisserie each night, as well as asian fusion.
"Our theory is good food, it's not about where it comes from, the nationality of the food - if it's good, we'll sell it," Mr Johnston said.
Expansion is the next step for the team - who also operate the popular Loose Goose food truck at Kingsway Barber Shop, which started on New Year's Eve last year.
They've been operating at private events, and an opportunity came up to go into bricks and mortar - an opportunity Mr Johnston said they couldn't turn down.
"We're moving into a mainstream building, which is at the Newnham campus of the University of Tasmania, where we'll be open Monday to Friday for dining in for street food and also available on delivery platforms," he said.
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