"The Edwards is approachable at many levels. The doors are not yet officially open, but the site has already become a relaxed drop-in centre for Joannou's network of friends. Joannou's friends describe him as grounded and easy-going. The Edwards quietly re-opened in late July, 2019, only to close again in March when coronavirus social distancing regulations came into play. Read more: Fire tears through Newcastle West restaurant The Edwards He used the COVID lockdown period to cast a critical eye over his Parry Street business. He's just a really earnest, modest guy.". "I've worked on the odd music project here and there [outside of Silverchair], but I always wanted to get an awesome, relaxed space with good food, good booze and good tunes. When Weekender calls, Portley is juggling organising the kitchen with talking to suppliers and staff. Chris Joannou was born in Newcastle, Australia on Saturday, November 10, 1979 (Generation X). Chris Joannou Ltd: 60 . "It's all happened by meeting the right people at the right time," he says later. "It's all about consistency.". Now is the perfect time to come in and look at it all with a fresh perspective.". "Michael is one of my foodie inspirations and a bloody legend of a bloke.". We want all cultures colliding - music, art, film.". "We try to avoid being knee-jerky," he says. "This is something I've always wanted to do," he continues, eager to move on from talk of Silverchair. When I arrive at The Edwards for our evening chat - he's too flat out during the day to sit and talk - he is tucking into a meal with Johnston, Leveson, Lovell and a couple of other mates around a large timber table. If you have seen Silverchair live, this is in stark contrast to the intensity of his presence on stage, hunched over a low-hanging bass. The three 15-year-olds released their first single Tomorrow in August 1994 after winning a national demo competition conducted by SBS TV show Nomad and Triple J. "The Edwards is approachable at many levels. "We used to have someone playing at the Eddies two or three nights a week. 0. Chris Joannou is single. During one Weekender visit, Johnston's partner and baby daughter were there, as was The Edwards' tattooed head chef and Joannou's Novocastian mate, Harry Callinan, another couple of friends and tradies. Chris has that same approach." 517 Followers, 878 Following, 495 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Chris Joannou (@joannou21) We have this broad demographic that we are proud of and we have always made sure our offering can extend to everyone." "Ninety per cent of my mates own some sort of hospitality venue so I've noticed how things are done, and I've been to plenty of places," he says with a wide, cheeky grin. Joannou has always seemed content doing his own thing and remains unaffected by the Silverchair roller-coaster. It's very exciting," he says. Chris Joannou and Zach Scholtz have been working on Flotilla for more than a year and since before the project that brought them together, The Edwards, was damaged by fire last June. The rest of the time he has been at the site of his parents' former dry-cleaning business in Newcastle West, clad in well-worn boots, dust-coated jeans and T-shirt. The Edwards takes its name from anthropologist Sir Edward Burnett Tylor whose two-volume, 1871 publication Primitive Culture includes a definition of culture which is widely recognised: "Culture, or civilisation, taken in its broad, ethnographic sense, is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society". "The Edwards has never been your traditional food and beverage place, and for us, it wasn't always just about the transaction. CHRIS JOANNOU - Growth, Innovation, and Design for Global Gamechangers. Joannou's beloved French bulldog Maggie was racing around the space with Johnston's kelpie. You'd never know he once performed with Silverchair in front of a crowd of 250,000 at Rio de Janeiro. Yes, one of its founders was a rock star, but it was more than that. The 36-year-old has added a new bar and dumpling restaurant to The Edwards, as well as a motorbike workshop and launderette. "The Edwards has never been your traditional food and beverage place, and for us, it wasn't always just about the transaction. "The care, love and appreciation for it all never fades. Says Johnston, who first met Joannou a year ago through Leveson: "He's an absolute gentleman. "There's a connection we have with the community that goes beyond a commercial transaction.". While Silverchair was reaching dizzying heights, the teenage trio continued to attend school and maintain as everyday an existence as possible. D&B Hoovers provides sales leads and sales intelligence data on over 120 million companies like CHRIS JOANNOU PUBLIC LIMITED around the world, including contacts, financials, and competitor information. The Companys main activity comprises the provision of raw material for the dairy, ice-cream, bakery and confectionery industries, as well as to restaurants and supermarkets. "I trusted and respected him deeply. He is fit and tanned, and calmly charismatic. I love being back.". What could be improved? I remember that he bought a pinball machine and installed it in the living area of the family's then Merewether home, a seemingly extravagant act at the time that now seems almost cute when compared to the excess of today's teen music stars with their luxury cars, large entourages and bling (Joannou still has the machine and it might make an appearance in the new office). Yes, one of its founders was a rock star, but it was more than that. (You learn very quickly that almost everyone the Silverchair bass player works with is a mate and more than likely a Novocastrian). There's no bullshit to him. Leveson met Joannou at a Sydney gig about eight years ago through a mutual friend, ARIA-winning music producer Matt Lovell - another Novocastrian - who worked on three Silverchair albums. In a 2010 interview, four years after their break-up, his former partner, Aussie rock chick Sarah McLeod, said he was "calm and lovely". "This is something I've always wanted to do," he continues, eager to move on from talk of Silverchair. It's my third visit to the site, and he appears to be unflappable. The three long-time friends stay in touch via text messages but they are all busy with their own lives. "Actually, it would be shithouse [laughs]. The three 15-year-olds released their first single Tomorrow in August 1994 after winning a national demo competition conducted by SBS TV show Nomad and Triple J. "It's crazy at the moment." As for live music, which has always been an important part of the overall Edwards vibe, Joannou says it's "tricky". When Joannou first spoke to him about a head chef opportunity at The Edwards, Portley was apprehensive. Joannou and his two mates and business partners - Sydney interior designer Tim Leveson and Chris Johnston, owner of Good Brother Espresso and Suspension - have been working around the clock to transform the 660-square-metre Parry Street warehouse into a cafe, restaurant and bar. "I think that's the only way it works properly - if you're part of it day to day," offers the affable 34-year-old. He has a week to get the new menu up and running. ", His guitars are next door, as are his surfboards, but there's been no time for music or waves. He is unashamedly family-focused. The mesh drums from the over-sized clothes dryers are now artfully rust-covered and transformed into light shades in the industrial-inspired space, which features a 14-metre exposed concrete bar - the beer fonts include sections of the steam presses - that took builders two weeks to "form it up". On July 8 a full a la carte menu will be introduced, and The Edwards will re-open for breakfast and lunch as well as dinner, Wednesday through to Sunday. Read more: The Edwards turns 2 and it's the customers who are being spoilt When Weekender calls Joannou is happy to share the latest news about "The Eddie", as he calls it. And Chris Joannou looks to have scuttled talk of a long awaited reunion with the bass player selling off most of his musical gear. A common thread binds them, though, and that is a commitment to good service. The Edwards' food philosophy was simple - fire and meat - and the large wood-fired oven was the focus of the open kitchen. Joannou, with business partners Chris Johnston, Harry Callinan and Tim Leveson, embraced rather than replaced many of the building's original features. Over the next year, Portley and his partner, Steph, left Sydney to travel and work their way around Australia. It's my third visit to the site, and he appears to be unflappable. Chatting about the Victorian experience with a so-called "second wave" of coronavirus, Joannou sounds nervous. "We've had a changing of the guard in the kitchen which I'm really excited about," he says. According to our records, he has no children. There's friendly banter in between mouthfuls of pad thai and spring rolls. Polite 15-year-old with a blonde, beachy-haired girlfriend Kinney in Los Angeles and 20 weeks the. Delighted by the Online Discussion Terms & Conditions local news and stories soulmate Imbruglia good service good. 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