Between the Pantry restaurant, delicatessen and catering businesses in Melbourne and our Hugo’s restaurants in Sydney, we have five partners at the helm.

Daniel Vaughan and Dave Evans turned a corner milk bar into the Pantry in 1993. They were later joined by Dave’s brother, Pete. When Pete and Dave moved to Sydney in 1996, Hugo’s in Bondi was born. Dave Corsi then joined the team, and the ‘Hugo’s Group’ was formed. Meanwhile, Guy Mainwaring began working at the Pantry, and was later to become the fifth partner in the businesses. The Pantry has been Melbourne Bayside’s favourite restaurant for the past sixteen years. In 2005, the Pantry received a makeover, doubled in size, and became the casual, but chic, venue it is today.

We serve dinner Thursdays to Sundays. The menu is predominately modern Italian, and our award-winning pizzas are the stars of the show! Speaking of shows, our Cooking Shows have been very popular, and, along with our Hands-on Cooking Classes, are the best nights in town! We opened the Pantry Delicatessen’s doors in October 2006. We wanted our delicatessen to look and feel like a charming old-style Italian deli, and offer our customers great products and service to match. Our catering business has been going strong since 1993. We have catered for all kinds of events - weddings, film premieres, dinner parties, children’s parties… you name it, we’ve done it!

In Sydney, with Hugo’s in Bondi, we had ten hugely successful years, complete with the very prestigious Chefs Hat award for seven consecutive years and numerous industry recognitions and awards along the way. Then along came Hugo’s Lounge in Kings Cross in 2000. With its elegant décor, mood lighting and plush furnishings, Hugo’s Lounge is a world-class venue. In 2007, we were awarded ‘Nightclub of the Year’ at the annual Bar Awards. The venue can also be hired out for private functions. In 2004, Hugo’s Bar Pizza opened directly beneath Hugo’s Lounge. This is where you go to eat our award-winning pizzas and drink our award-winning cocktails before heading upstairs to party into the small hours. Hugo’s Bar Pizza is relaxed, casual dining at its best, any time of the year. Our most ambitious project to date is Hugo’s Manly. Situated right on Manly Wharf, with indoor and outdoor seating for 300 people, Hugo’s Manly is fast becoming ‘the place to be’ for lunch, dinner and drinks. The spectacular view to Sydney Harbour is unrivalled – check it out for yourself! It’s been sixteen years since our journey started, and what a fantastic ride it’s been! From all of us at the Pantry and at Hugo’s, we hope to see you on board for at least the next sixteen years!