Delivering Exceptional Service

In this episode, Mario di Ienno, co-owner of Geralds Bar, shares what it really means to deliver exceptional service — from the small details that matter to training the people who bring it to life.

Mario di Ienno is a veteran of Melbourne’s hospitality scene. While working as an apprentice chef in fine dining in the 1980s, he bought a tuxedo and trained as a waiter on his nights off — marking the beginning of a lifelong commitment to service. When liquor licensing laws changed and Melbourne’s bar and café scene began to flourish, Geralds Bar was born.

Together with its namesake, Gerald Diffey, Mario spent more than two decades shaping the Rathdowne Village institution, even opening a sister venue in San Sebastián along the way. The bar became synonymous with warm, authentic hospitality, and service at its finest. In 2026, Geralds Bar moved to a larger space on Lygon Street, marking a new era and new opportunities for the pair.