Reviving an icon, refining the service with Square
When Tracy and her sons, Matthew and Nicholas, first acquired the iconic 1960s building, they faced a daunting task. “The biggest challenge for us was to think about what would actually work in this space,” Tracy recalls. “When we bought this building, we really didn’t know what we were going to do.” After extensive research, they found their answer in the building’s own story. “Because of the architecture, we decided on Italian cuisine,” she says, a nod to the legacy of its Italian-born architect.
This vision manifested as two distinct venues. Upstairs, Lunetta is “very much occasion-focused”, offering an elevated dining experience. Downstairs, Lunetta Trattoria is a “neighbourhood wine bar with amazing food … based on having fun and energy.” It’s a unique all-day dining concept that, as Tracy notes, is “probably the first place in Canberra that offers that style of dining.”
A timeless approach to design
For the Keeleys, every choice is deliberate. “Everything about Lunetta was by design, by choice,” Matthew explains. “We wanted that to have longevity, as well. We wanted there to be something timeless about our choices.” This philosophy of intentional, aesthetic design led them to Square.
There was a very strong alignment between what we wanted our guest experience to be, and the hardware and software that Square provides. There was an aesthetic reason as to why we went with Square, and that was the beauty and minimalism of the design. It seamlessly integrates into our restaurant setting.”
Matthew Keeley → Co-Owner, Lunetta
Focusing on service with Square Handheld
In a venue dedicated to exceptional service, the mechanics of taking orders and payments need to be invisible. As one of the first businesses in Australia to use the new Square Handheld, the Lunetta team found a tool that perfectly matched their ethos.
“Square Handheld helps us to take away that transactional feel that’s associated with payments,” Matthew says. “We don’t want that to be the lasting memory of a guest.” The portable POS for tableside orders and payments allows staff to be more present. “Our staff can be on the go, around the restaurant with Square Handheld in their pockets. They’re able to take orders, take payments and basically be more efficient, and spend more time with the guests.” This has been transformative for their large outdoor patio. “With Square Handheld, we’re able to make our way outside, take orders, take payments in an outside area where using traditional hardware, we wouldn’t have been able to otherwise do so.”
Everything working together
Square Handheld works in concert with the full Square ecosystem, meaning it’s designed to connect with all other Square hardware and software, including the powerful Square Restaurant point-of-sale software. Orders taken tableside on Square Handheld are sent instantly to the kitchen, and the intuitive interface means new staff can be trained in minutes. “With Square Handheld, we don’t need to train anyone,” says Matthew. “The user experience has been designed so well that it enables us to focus on what we want to deliver to our guests.”
Beyond the floor, the data is just as critical. “The thing we love about Square is the reporting functionality,” he adds. “The visibility that our reporting provides is so critical for our business – we’re able to see what’s selling, what’s not, and what things we may need to improve on. That greatly informs our business decisions.”
Canberra’s little moon
Ultimately, for the Keeleys, technology serves a simple purpose: to help them offer more. “We really wanted to hone in on the guest experience and provide an experience that was holistic, that wasn’t just based on food and beverages,” Tracy shares. This is clear in the details, like the complimentary box of truffles awaiting guests who are celebrating a milestone. “We wanted this restaurant to be an extension of our home.”
That heartfelt approach is reflected in the name they chose for the restaurant. The name itself, Lunetta, means ‘little moon’ in Italian. “For us, this building has stood tall on top of Red Hill and has watched Canberra over the past 60 years,” Tracy says with pride. “It’s been Canberra’s little moon. And we believe that it will remain on top of Red Hill for another 60 years and watch over Canberra.”
