Francis ChehadeHospitality · MelbourneLet’s talk

Melbourne hospitality operator

Places people
come back to.

The right concept. A well-run room.
A place in the neighbourhood.

I’m Francis Chehade. I build and operate hospitality venues, bringing the concept, the team and the day-to-day detail together. Today, that work continues at Julia’s in Ringwood North and Doreen.

Discuss a site Explore the track record
Francis ChehadeCo-founder & GM, Julia’s
For landlords, partners & venue owners
Guests dining beneath globe lights at Julia’s in Ringwood North
Inside Julia’sRingwood North, Melbourne
4Hospitality brands
across the track record
2Julia’s locations
Ringwood North & Doreen
180People across Julia’s
as reported by Francis
400Seats across Julia’s
150 Ringwood North · 250 Doreen

Operating figures and career history supplied by Francis Chehade, September 2026.

Selected venues

Different spaces.
The same care for hospitality.

Explore all four brands
Arched back bar and green counter at Julia’s Ringwood North
Current venture

Ringwood North & Doreen

Julia’s

Wood-fired pizza.
Cocktails. Your local.

A neighbourhood Italian built around generous hospitality, casual dinners and celebrations. One concept, with a home in two Melbourne communities.

2 locations400 seats combined*
The Julia’s story *Capacity supplied by Francis.
Shanklin in Hawthorn East

Hawthorn East · Earlier venture

Shanklin

A Victorian terrace turned neighbourhood café.

Franco & Co in Eltham

Eltham · Earlier venture

Franco & Co

Wood-fired dining in a leafy, relaxed setting.

Dutton Café in Richmond

Richmond · Earlier venture

Dutton Café

Hospitality inside a collector-car showroom.

The approach

A good room is only the beginning.

How I work

01 / Position

Give the venue a clear purpose.

Understand the neighbourhood, the competition and the occasions people are dining for. Bring the concept, menu, pricing and room into line.

02 / Operate

Make the everyday service work.

Build a focused menu, clear service standards and a team that can deliver consistently. Track the trading week as carefully as the opening weekend.

03 / Belong

Give people a reason to return.

Warm service, familiar faces and a venue that fits local life. The aim is repeat custom and a business with a place in its community.

Portrait of Francis Chehade

Meet the operator

Hands-on experience.
A long-term view.

From a Hawthorn East café to two Julia’s restaurants, my work has always started with the people the venue is there to serve.

I’m interested in the whole business: what’s on the menu, how a service runs, who leads the team and whether the premises make sense for the concept. That is the conversation I bring to a new site or partnership.

Start a conversation

Work together

What are you working on?

Landlords & agents

A considered plan for your site.

Match the premises to a viable hospitality concept, with a practical view of the fit-out, trading conditions and lease.

Discuss a site

Investors

Operating experience behind the idea.

Explore a new opening or an expansion with an operator whose experience spans cafés, restaurants and hospitality in unusual spaces.

Explore a partnership

Venue owners

A fresh look at what comes next.

Discuss repositioning, an operating partnership or a handover. Start with the venue’s current position and the outcome you want.

Talk through the options

In the neighbourhood. In print.

A story you can explore.

Read the coverage, meet the venues and see the places behind the record.

Read the coverage & venue links
“quality ingredients and honest food”The City Lane on Shanklin · August 2018Read the article ↗

The next opportunity

Good hospitality starts
with a conversation.

Have a vacant tenancy, an existing venue or an idea for a partnership? Let’s see what the opportunity could become.

Discuss an opportunity Call Francis
Francis Chehade
Francis ChehadeCo-founder & GM, Julia’s
Melbourne, Australia