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© 2026 GHO Sydney
We acknowledge the First Peoples of Australia and their deep connection to land, skies waterways and community. We pay our respect to Elders past and present.
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© 2026 GHO Sydney
We acknowledge the First Peoples of Australia and their deep connection to land, skies waterways and community. We pay our respect to Elders past and present.
Grub Lab set out to solve a real challenge facing local pubs and clubs: how to create family dining experiences that could compete with larger hospitality brands.
With kids’ expectations shaped by world-class entertainment and digital experiences, venues needed a new way to engage families, increase loyalty and stand out in a crowded market.
Client
Grub Lab
Industry
Start up
Project
Strategy, branding, UX & UI design
However, the pandemic was a major setback for these businesses. Pandemic aside, the less obvious problem they faced in returning their businesses to the good old days was that family fun and entertainment had become an incredibly competitive, global business where big companies dominate.
The little local guy gets shut out of new technology and trends; they simply don’t have the resources to “do a McDonalds” and sign-up big brands like Disney and major sporting clubs or stars to promote their venues.
How could they level the playing field?
Grub Lab is their food services solution which had recently formed a partnership with Simplot to allow families to access the latest in Augmented Reality entertainment. It brings the fun venues and creates an experience for kids that is on par with the latest trends in popular entertainment.
And these kids have high expectations; they have access to it everywhere else in their lives so why not at the local pub? Grub Lab’s ambition is to provide entertainment for families that is a first-class technology experience at no additional cost to them.
Currently Grub Lab has established itself in over 1200 venues and is on course to have 5000 venues before the end of the year.
Village Co is also on track for its next capital raise which is setting its sights on expansion into the US.
Like many start-ups Mick and his team have put it all on the line to build their vision. Not only are they passionate about the future, but they’re also leading experts in innovation in the domain of AR.
However, the team recognises that to bring their idea to life at speed requires guidance from people outside their business. GHO Ventures, in partnership with PKF, was set up to wrap the required skills for business success around these entrepreneurs to help ensure a faster path to market and profit.
Founder, CEO Grub Lab
"GHO Ventures and PKF bring these skills together and provide strategic processes for us that are designed to ensure we can leverage this mix and breadth of experience alongside our own talents."