Kyabram Club has a new general manager, and he’s ready to lead the bistro into a new era.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
It’s a year of change at the Kyabram Club, with new developments, new opportunities and a new general manager to lead the team.
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Having joined in mid-November, new general manager Ben Offard has been getting acquainted with both the staff and the hustle and bustle of the Allan St restaurant, brought on by the hundreds of patrons that make their way through the doors every day.
And there was no better time to do so than right before the busiest period of the year: the Christmas holidays.
Mr Offard has quickly become part of the Kyabram community, enjoying his newfound ‘regular’ status at the local café and exchanging warm greetings with fellow residents during his daily coffee runs.
It was just as he imagined it would be before he took up the job.
“There’s been a lot of good talk about the club … it’s a stable, profitable business, and it’s done extremely well for itself … my job is to make sure that it continues to be sustainable,” Mr Offard said.
The Kyabram Club is a far cry from many of the other restaurants and hotels on his extensive management resume.
Mr Offard hails from Adelaide and has worked from between the world-class wine grapes in the Barossa Valley to the commotion of the Adelaide CBD, but more recently has gotten a taste for life in the twin towns, acting as the business development manager for the Moama RSL.
Now, he has hopped the border and made his way to Kyabram after the position opened up following former manager Greg Ryan’s decision to leave the club.
Mr Ryan was a big support to Mr Offard before he fully stepped in to fill the big boots of general manager, and encouraged him to focus on the community and the club’s potential.
“The one thing you can get from (Greg) is it is all about community,” Mr Offard said.
“The club is the backbone of the community, whether that be through donations to local organisations, being out there volunteering or even just employing locals.”
Mr Offard expects the club to “grow by a third” in 2025, and with that will be more employment opportunities.
“I’m starting to think with the fact that as much as we’ve got a wonderful brigade of chefs, they are going to need the support.”
With renovations finishing, Mr Offard encourages patrons to take a peek at what the new Kyabram Club will look like.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
He has also been receiving support from assistant manager Julie Febey, starting with learning the intricacies of how the other works and what they can each bring to the table.
“She’s a local … so, I value everything she can contribute. And I’m sure I can rub off on her with all of my hospitality experience,” he said.
The change of management is not the only change the Kyabram Club has seen over the past month, with an exterior fencing being removed revealing the renovations that have been undertaken over the past 10 months.
According to Mr Offard, patrons can expect to be dining in a brand new enclosed outdoor area as soon as the end of January — but for now, excited diners can take a peek while walking past the club on Allan St.
Attached to the new dining area, which will allow for year-round outdoor dining, will be a children’s playground area to keep the kiddos entertained while adults enjoy food and conversation.
Aside from an enhanced dining experience, Mr Offard said his main focus for 2025 would be working to expand the business further and working to live up to expectations of those in town.
“The club is very much a beacon of the town … it’s great, but at the same time there’s a lot of eyes on you,” he said.
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