Since opening in August 2023, The Flywheel Bar & Cafe has grown from a small coffee and toastie bar into a restaurant, cellar door, live music venue and community hub in the heart of Beaufort. Serving quality food, coffee and entertainment, it offers an inclusive space for locals and visitors to connect, celebrate and enjoy creative experiences.
A local vision for community connection
After a career in state and local government, owner Katie Gleisner created Flywheel in response to a need for affordable, quality dining and greater support for arts and creativity in Beaufort. Her vision was simple: to create a welcoming space that brings people together and strengthens the local community.
Learning to ask for support
Building a hospitality business brought a steep learning curve, from staffing and marketing to finance and daily operations. Recognising she couldn’t manage everything alone, Katie engaged experienced professionals, empowered her team and stepped away from around 90 per cent of Flywheel’s operational tasks. This created more time to focus on the brand, customer experience and future growth.
Connecting and growing with TMV
Flywheel first connected with Tourism Midwest Victoria for support with its ATDW listing before participating in social media and media training, human resources support and industry networking. These opportunities helped Katie strengthen her leadership and support network, leading Flywheel to engage an HR consultancy, appoint an experienced head chef and establish clearer expectations across the team.
Turning insights into action
Social media training has helped Flywheel increase its online following and engagement, while media training has supported clearer and more intentional communication with customers and stakeholders. Industry events have also encouraged Katie to stay connected with tourism professionals and seek advice beyond the walls of her own business.
That commitment to collaboration extends into the local community. Katie has established an informal small-business network in Beaufort, bringing operators together to discuss challenges, share successes and connect one another with information and support.
Flywheel is also building partnerships with other local businesses to increase visibility and strengthen its offering. This includes introducing a small retail range through another trader and moving to a local coffee roaster, creating more opportunities to celebrate regional products and collaboration.
A more deliberate measure of success
For Flywheel, success is no longer measured solely by how busy the venue is. It also means having the time and capacity to make intentional decisions, support an engaged team and build a more sustainable and profitable business.
If you’re thinking of working with TMV, Katie’s advice to other tourism operators is to connect, ask for support and make the most of the services available.
“If you’re not at the table, you are missing out on exposure. If TMV doesn’t have something available, the team is great at finding alternative solutions. You just have to ask.”
Flywheel’s story demonstrates what can happen when a clear community vision is matched with a willingness to learn, delegate and collaborate. By investing in people, local partnerships and industry connections, the business continues to create a welcoming place for locals and visitors while contributing to a more vibrant regional visitor economy.
Connect with TMV and let us help you be part of the story.