Thinking like a customer has kept Sails Restaurant Noosa at the top of its game for more than 30 years. Regular travel gives them the face-to-face connections they need to excel, as co-owner Chris Moe explains.
Plenty has changed on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast since Sails Restaurant Noosa first opened its doors to the ocean breeze in 1994. Three decades later, its particular brand of barefoot luxury is more in demand than ever. “We had our record year last year, after 30 years in business,” confirms co-owner Chris Moe.
With a clientele that’s equal parts local and out-of-towners, Sails artfully navigates the line where white linen tablecloths meet beach umbrellas on the deck. The stunning Laguna Bay beachfront and long-time executive chef Paul Leete’s produce-led menu keep everyone satisfied but the drawcard is undoubtedly the wine list, 600 labels strong and housed over four sprawling cellars. Building the list has been a long-term labour of love for Sails founder and co-owner Lyndon Simmons but maintaining it has become a collective passion, says Moe. And as with so many aspects of running a hospitality business, nurturing in-person relationships is an important factor in its success.
“To give our guests a memorable experience, we need to think like a customer”
“My business partner, Lyndon, is always focused on thinking like a customer and not like a restaurant operator – he believes this is how we continually improve the experience for our guests. To foster this mindset, we encourage our team to see firsthand how other restaurants do it around the world. To do this effectively, we access flight savings through our Qantas Business Rewards Account and then use the Qantas Points earned towards the next flight. It leads to our staff bringing back valuable experiences to implement in the kitchen and on the restaurant floor. Last June, we sent our functions and events manager, Jessica Exley, and senior sous chef, Zach Kelly, to Craggy Range Winery in Hawke’s Bay, home to some of the finest New Zealand pinot noir as well as a two-hatted restaurant. A trip like this means that when Jess is speaking with a couple planning their wedding reception at Sails, she can share the story behind the Craggy Range wines on our list. Her enthusiasm and knowledge add so much to the guests’ enjoyment of their time with us.”
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“Meeting winemakers ensures we get the first pick of their best products”
“Sails has one of the most extensive wine lists in Australia and we regularly visit winemakers to taste new vintages and ensure we’re receiving their best products. Using our business’s points on flights through Qantas Business Rewards makes it possible for us to travel to wineries as often as we can, plus the extensive Qantas network makes our regional travel around Australia efficient.
At Yangarra Estate in McLaren Vale last winter, we were the first to be invited on a tour of the new cellar door and I had a private tour of the vineyards with the winemaker. We added the High Sands Grenache from Yangarra to our wine list after that trip. A wine like this is available in such limited quantities, perhaps only a few hundred bottles, that it will sell out – it’s just a matter of which restaurants receive an allocation. Building these long-term face-to-face relationships with a winery helps us have first pick of their wine and gives us access to the very best vintages.”
Tip: With over 1,300 destinations across Australia and the world, the Qantas network is built to get you and your travellers wherever you need to be.
“Attending food and wine events inspires our own events program”
“We take chardonnay very seriously at Sails. It’s one of the most popular varieties with our guests and we have a dedicated chardonnay cellar to store our 2000 bottles at exactly the right temperature. Chardonnay is king of the grapes in Margaret River, where Lyndon travelled to Leeuwin Estate for a special winemakers’ dinner. He used points to upgrade his flights to a Business cabin, ensuring he was well-rested for the event. We’re hosting our own wine dinner as part of the Noosa Concours d’Elegance weekend in July, so it was insightful for Lyndon to attend one of these events. At ours, we’ll be pouring Leeuwin Estate and Craggy Range wines alongside a four-course menu. You could say that Leeuwin Estate and Sails at Noosa are equally iconic establishments on opposite sides of the country.”
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* A business must be a Qantas Business Rewards Member to earn Qantas Points for the business. A one-off joining fee of $89.50 applies, is inclusive of any applicable GST and may be varied by Qantas from time to time, without notice, in its absolute discretion. Membership and Qantas Points for business are offered under the Qantas Business Rewards Terms and Conditions and earning thresholds apply.
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^^ Classic Upgrade Rewards are available on Classic Flight Rewards in Economy and Premium Economy and eligible paid and confirmed Qantas domestic and international flights, with a QF flight number on your ticket and from time to time on codeshare flights operated by another carrier that have a Qantas (QF) flight number on your ticket. Classic Upgrade Rewards are subject to capacity controls and availability is limited, and some flights may not have any Classic Upgrade Rewards confirmed. Classic Upgrade Rewards are not available from all fare types. See tables for details.
~~ A business can redeem Qantas Points directly from their Qantas Business Rewards Account on Classic Flight Rewards or Points Plus Pay bookings and/or transfer Qantas Points out of the Qantas Business Rewards Accounts into any individual’s Qantas Frequent Flyer account. In order to transfer or directly redeem Qantas Points from a Qantas Business Rewards Account for Classic Flight Rewards, the Business Account must have a balance of at least 3,000 Qantas Points. You must be a Qantas Frequent Flyer member to earn, receive transfers and redeem Qantas Points as an individual. A joining fee may apply. Membership and Qantas Points are subject to the Qantas Frequent Flyer program Terms and Conditions. We recommend you consult your accountant or tax adviser to ensure you understand possible tax implications, for example fringe benefits tax (if applicable).
Qantas would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the local lands and waterways on which we live, work and fly. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.