Fish Face: Reel Success in the Restaurant Industry for ICMS Alumna

ICMS alumna Anna Walker is the proud owner of Fish Face, a popular restaurant located in the beautiful Northern Beaches area.

Having successfully run her restaurant for eight years, Anna’s story shows how her education, passion, and determination came together to make her career dreams come true.

Anna graduated with an ICMS Bachelor of Business in 2016, and credits the industry-focused higher education institute for her success in the hospitality industry.

“I can’t speak of ICMS highly enough,” she said.

“They really helped me with my career goals.”

Connections to Customers key to Continuing Career

A key part of Anna’s approach to hospitality is building real connections with a wide range of customers who enjoy Fish Face’s fresh vibe and fantastic food.

“For me, the best thing about working in the hospitality industry is the people that you meet every day, whether it’s the locals or tourists visiting Manly,” she said.

Creating genuine relationships and showing understanding are fundamental to how Anna runs her business, as she believes that customer loyalty is crucial for long-term success in the hospitality industry.

“Every day is different and relationships create a lot understanding. That’s important for the hospitality industry because if you maintain relationships with customers then they continue to come back.”

Academic Foundation at ICMS = A Pillar of Success

The ICMS Bachelor of Business degree played a crucial role in giving Anna the knowledge and skills needed to start a successful restaurant business.

The program provided a strong foundation in business management, covering important areas like finance, marketing, operations, and strategic planning. This education not only sharpened Anna’s analytical skills but also deepened her understanding of running a successful business.

While studying at ICMS, Anna improved her skills in handling finances, which helped her effectively manage budgets, forecasts, and costs when starting the restaurant. In addition, her marketing studies provided her with the strategies to advertise her business, build a loyal customer base, and increase brand awareness in a competitive market.

The strategic lessons taught in the Bachelor of Business program at ICMS gave Anna the tools to create a strong business plan, recognise opportunities for growth, and make smart choices that helped her business succeed.

Using the knowledge and skills gained at ICMS, Anna effectively used sound business strategies to start and manage Fish Face, leading to her success as a prominent restaurant owner in the Northern Beaches area.

Future Plans for Foodie Scene

Anna plans to keep being a part of the restaurant scene, with a focus on making the Northern Beaches foodie scene even stronger.

“My long term vision is to come up with a concept on a small scale and then, if it’s a strong concept, to open that in a lot of different areas within the Northern Beaches,” she said.

Fish Face has a fantastic reputation among repeat visitors, and has gained great reviews from the media.

• Manly Observer – “Overall, the new restaurant provides a space that seems to cover it all – perfect for a date, a family catch up, a friends night out, a lunch meeting, and even our young family were well accommodated with enough room between tables for a pram.  But the food is a great offering as well; it’s not just a pretty face.” – Read the full article here
• Eat Drink Play – “Balgowlah’s Fish Face, now plating exquisitely prepared simple seafood just a stone’s throw from Manly beach. To plate the ocean, you must know the ocean, which is probably why Executive Chef Adam Rust’s menu is proving to be such a huge hit” – Read the full article here

To connect with Anna Walker, click here.

To find out more about Fish Face, click here.

To find out more about the ICMS Bachelor of Business, click here.