The Man Behind Bar Monte: James Sutherland Brings Heart, Hospo & Italian Charm To Newstead
passion and pasta
By Bianca Licina | 6th November 2025From denim to dining, James Sutherland of Arcade Agency (Light Years, Bar Monte, Pixie Italian, and more) knows a thing or two about building brands people love. After creating a string of beloved venues along the East Coast’s beach towns, his team has now brought their signature blend of sophistication and soul to Newstead with Bar Monte — this time with a little more edge, a little more energy, and a whole lot of heart.
Hey James! What inspired the expansion to Brisbane
Brisbane has been in our sights for a while, we were just waiting for the right opportunity and the right site. Newstead felt like the perfect fit. The area is energetic, creative, and local in all the right ways. It’s exactly the kind of community where a neighbourhood Italian like Bar Monte can thrive.
What do you love about Brisbane’s food and dining scene, and how do you see Bar Monte carving its place here
The dining scene here is outstanding. Brisbane is home to some truly world-class, destination restaurants where the locals are spoilt for choice, and visitors barely scratch the surface trying to experience it all.
But not every meal has to be a special occasion. With Monte, we want to become part of our customers’ weekly (dare we say it daily?) rhythm. A place that feels like home, where people come back week after week. A restaurant that’s familiar and relaxed, but still feels special every time you visit
As a company, our ethos has always been to create venues first and foremost for the local community. If we can build something that feels genuinely loved by locals, the rest naturally follows.
Your venues all have such a distinct vibe — relaxed, playful, yet high-quality. What inspired this format, and why do you think it resonates so well with guests
We’ve always been drawn to venues that feel elevated but never exclusive. That balance between design, food, and music is what makes people want to stay a little longer. I think guests connect with that sense of ease. It’s hospitality that doesn’t try too hard, but still gets everything right.
You have an impressive background with brands like Triangl, Wrangler, and Lee. What made you pivot from fashion to food, and how did that transition shape your approach to hospitality
Hospitality felt like the natural next step. I’ve always loved dining out, especially the atmosphere of a busy restaurant and the small details that make an experience memorable. After years in fashion I wanted to create something people could live and return to, not just wear. In that world, so much of what you did was centered around the brand, so I approached hospitality with the same mindset. My aim is always to build brands with a clear identity where every element, from the food to the music to the service flows cohesively.
How do you want people to feel when they walk into Bar Monte? What’s the experience you’re hoping to create
Bar Monte should feel like you’ve walked into somewhere familiar, even if it’s your first time. Warm, comfortable, a little nostalgic. We want guests to feel taken care of, but also completely at ease. A place where you can have an incredible meal without feeling like you have to put on a show.
This is Bar Monte’s second iteration — how does the Brisbane version differ from the Gold Coast original
The DNA is the same, great food, great wine, genuine hospitality. But Newstead takes it up a notch. The menu is broader, the space is larger, and there’s more opportunity to lean into late-night dining and a stronger bar focus. It’s the same Monte heart, just with a bit more edge and sophistication to suit the Brisbane crowd.
The fit-out is stunning — warm, inviting, and playful. Walk us through your vision and the process of bringing it to life
This is our fourth project with Will Rathgeber from Studio Plenty who completely understands the energy of our venues. The brief was to capture that Monte warmth and familiarity but reimagine it through a more urban lens, something layered, textural, and deeply comfortable. It’s Italian-inspired, but with Studio Plenty’s signature restraint and refinement.
You’ve scaled multiple venues across different areas — what’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned about keeping a brand consistent while adapting to new markets
Consistency comes from culture. Every venue has its own personality because it’s shaped by its people and its neighbourhood. We focus on building strong teams who genuinely care about what we do and then give them the autonomy to make it their own.
Looking ahead, what’s next – any new concepts or cities on the horizon that you can tease
There’s always more than a few ideas bubbling away. New venues, new formats, maybe even new cities! But for now, our focus is on strengthening the foundations and continuing to build venues that people genuinely love coming back to.
THE FAST FOUR
Best Bar Monte menu item: Vitello tonnato Go-to cocktail order: I’ll usually reach for a glass of wine over a cocktail. But my go-to is generally a dry gin martini.Fave cuisine to eat: Cantonese (ironically, a cuisine we don’t have in our line-up) Top hospo trend of the moment: The best trend right now is not following one. No gimmicks, no click-bait dishes, just good food, good wine, and genuine hospitality. That’s what lasts.
Authentic neighbourhood Italian awaits – book your table at Bar Monte Newstead here.
Imagery: @barmontenewstead / @barmonteitalian
