Mery Domenech, Cutler & Co.
What is your role at Trader House and what does this involve?
I am the Guest Services Manager for Cutler & Co. and Marion Wine Bar. My role is to oversee the day-to-day functioning of the guests’ services team for these two restaurants and to liaise with the operations teams to ensure we deliver smooth services for our guests. This involves ensuring the restaurants are at capacity for reservations, handling all guest enquiries for reservations and events, running the office and assisting with marketing.
What has been your journey in hospitality prior to joining Trader House?
A very long one I would say! Officially it’s been at least 15 years. Unofficially, because my parents own an event hire and styling company based in Barcelona, it’s really been my whole life. Their business has always been a family affair – my parents created it together and have built it over many years, with my father in charge of logistics designing furniture and infrastructure for events and my mum driving the business side.
I worked with them from a young age, initially working the events and then moving into the showroom and the office. After school, I moved to London and studied media and communications. As much as I tried to move away from hospitality (thinking I should do something different to my family), it was such a great skill to have while I was studying (I worked in so many places)! In London, I met lots of people who had either been or planned to go to Australia and I saved up and set off on my Australian adventure, landing in Bondi with some of my best friends from home. We travelled and had an incredible time and I reconnected with my now partner (an Australian) who I had met in London. Once my friends moved on and things were serious with David, I settled into some great jobs in Brisbane in hosting and waitressing and also did a stint at Qualia. Eventually, we moved to Melbourne and whilst I’d loved my experiences in Sydney and Brisbane, Melbourne really felt like the place I should be. I worked at a few places before getting the job at Trader House. I had been to and loved so many of the venues and the structure and growth opportunities were really attractive to me.
What do you like to do when you're not at work?
Wining and dining – I think I spend a large proportion of my wage in restaurants!
I love that Melbourne has so many things going on - concerts, shows, sporting events, it reminds me of London. I’m very grounded in Melbourne now and I love exploring everything this great city has to offer.
Are there any women in hospitality (or other industries) that have inspired you and/or mentored you?
My mum. She is the brains behind the company (she is the CEO and a trained accountant). She is incredibly smart and emotionally intelligent. I think it’s so important to have both these skills in hospitality and I really respect women who can balance this. If I need advice about anything, she’s the one I turn to.
If you could give one piece of advice for women thinking of embarking on a career in hospitality what would that be?
‘Speak up, never be afraid to put your ideas forward or to be part of the conversation. Seek out businesses that have strong women in leadership roles – that says a lot about the culture of a business and how it runs.’
What’s next for you in your career and what are your long-term aspirations?
Long term I think my future is in hospitality. In my earlier years, I tried other industries, but I keep coming back to restaurants. I always hated it when people were surprised that I have a degree and asked why I was ‘just waitressing.’ But I see real development opportunities and I use the communication skills I gained in my degree every day. For now, I’m very settled in my current role and looking to learn as much as I can. In the future I’d love to move into a role that works more across the group – something that involves training others, being more strategic and working on the creative side.
