Building a Hospitality Career: What Employers Actually Need from You

In Part 1, Alessandro explained why he sees RSA and hospitality training as a business foundation rather than a compliance formality. In Part 2, he gets into the harder questions: what does running two venues in today's market actually look like, and what does he need from the people walking through his doors on day one?

The Reality of Running a Hospitality Venue Today

Staffing shortages, rising food and labour costs, and heightened customer expectations have changed what it takes to run a successful venue. At Bacco Restaurant in Shenton Park and John Street Cafe in Cottesloe, both operating across full dining and liquor service, the margin for error — operationally and legally — is slim.

That pressure filters directly into who Alessandro hires and how he expects his team to show up. Staff who arrive without their foundations in place create risk — not just for themselves, but for the entire venue.

"The people who make a career in this industry are the ones who treat their training as the starting point, not the finish line."

— Alessandro Stoccuto, Licensee & Owner, Bacco Restaurant & John Street Cafe

What Alessandro Looks for on Day One

Every staff member working in a licensed area must hold a current RSA certificate. But beyond that legal baseline, what separates standout candidates is attitude and preparedness. Coming in with your RSA and food safety qualifications already sorted tells Alessandro something about the kind of professional you intend to be.

Staff who already understand their legal obligations around responsible service, allergen management, and food hygiene reduce the burden on the licensee and allow the whole team to focus on what makes a venue great: the guest experience.

The Gap Between the Certificate and the Job

Alessandro is direct about what RSA training does and doesn't do. The certificate gets you in the door. What makes you valuable is how you apply that knowledge in real service situations — the confidence to refuse service to an intoxicated patron without creating a scene, the awareness to manage a table's consumption through a long evening, the instinct to flag a situation before it escalates.

"Your RSA certificate gets you in the door. It's the practical application that makes you someone we want to keep."

— Alessandro Stoccuto, Licensee & Owner, Bacco Restaurant & John Street Cafe

Food Safety and Communication

Alessandro is consistent across both venues: food safety training matters even for staff primarily doing bar work. In a venue like Bacco, everyone touches food at some point. Understanding temperature control, cross-contamination, and hygiene standards makes you a better all-round professional — and attentive employers notice it immediately.

And beyond qualifications, communication is non-negotiable. Whether it's an allergen enquiry, a service refusal, or an interaction with a compliance inspector, your ability to communicate clearly and professionally is what defines you in the moment.