Julian Mero

The director and co-owner of Queensland’s Groove Train, Julian Mero is no stranger to the hospitality industry. Born in Melbourne in December 1973, Julian grew up in Victoria, the snowfield country of Mt Beauty in Fall Creeks, and from the age of six Julian was exposed to his parent’s Italian restaurant.

Julian’s parents built the ASTRA Ski Lodge in 1988-89 which was complete with its own fine dining restaurant. Julian worked in the lodge and experienced firsthand the art of fine dining cuisine and the skill of running a first class restaurant.

Following his school education, Julian moved to Richmond, VIC, where he worked for corporate giant, Pacific Brands, which saw Julian travelling around the world during his tenure. During this time, Julian was living above the first Groove Train Café in Richmond, where he subsequently met and came to personally know the owner, Rocky Veneziano.

Following work at Pacific Brands, Julian started a wholesale and retail business which was subsequently sold to a South African company in 2007 and crossed paths with Rocky again shortly thereafter. By this time, Rocky Veneziano owned 10 Groove Train Cafes located across Melbourne. Im Julian and Rocky decided to form a partnership to bring the Groove Train Cafes to Queensland. The first Groove Train Cafe to open in Queensland was in Brisbane’s CBD riverside boardwalk, on February 27th 2008, which became extremely popular. This success stemmed from Julian’s ability to source exceptional and committed staff that are loyal to the venue’s ideas and who help build on the philosophy of the business.

From 2009 – 2010, four of Brisbane’s ‘Groove Train Café’s’ are now operating in Queensland. Julian states ‘Our vision is to become an integral part of the hospitality industry nationally and to build an iconic brand that also serves the Queensland community with great food, a fantastic ambiance and a groovy dining experience.’

The Groove Train currently has 13 venues, including the launch of the King George Square Groove Train on Wednesday 19th May. The relaxed and casual atmosphere that is inherent in each Groove Train café makes it the perfect venue for friends, family and large groups of all ages to come together for an enjoyable dinning experience.