Grana: An Italian-Inspired Dining Hub Inside a Heritage Sydney Landmark

Heritage Stone, Modern Table: Grana's All-Day Dining Experience

Grana sits on the ground floor of Hinchcliff House, a heritage-listed sandstone wool store that has anchored Sydney's Circular Quay since the 1870s. The venue pairs an Italian-inspired menu with a grain-led concept, milling local New South Wales grain on site every day for its bakery, pasta room, and pastry kitchen. The restored timber beams and sandstone walls now frame a modern dining room built for long lunches, busy evenings, and generous group gatherings.

"RON GROUP understood how to translate our grain-led concept into a space that respects the building's history while running efficiently every day. The furniture package gives Grana a warm, distinctive atmosphere our guests remember." — Grana Team

Project Background

Hinchcliff House is one of only two surviving sandstone wool stores in Sydney, and Grana brings its 150-year-old structure into daily hospitality use. The restaurant's name is the Italian word for grain, and the concept is built around an Austrian stone mill that grinds flour from New South Wales farms each morning. The dining room, in-house bakery, and pasta workshop are therefore not separate spaces but stages of one visible production story.

The layout divides the ground floor into clear service, bar, and dining zones, with a 40-metre custom benchtop acting as the venue's visual and operational spine. The open plan keeps the bakery and pasta room visible, so guests can watch daily production while staff move efficiently between counter and table service.

Client Requirements

• Furniture that complements a heritage sandstone interior with exposed timber beams
• A marble bar counter and communal tables suited to all-day service
• Durable, low-maintenance surfaces for high guest turnover
• Flexible seating for business lunches, group dining, and bar service
• Coordinated material finishes that reinforce the Italian-inspired brand identity

How We Meet the Vision

Heritage-Matched Materials

RON GROUP selected wooden tables, marble surfaces, and natural finishes that sit naturally against the building's sandstone walls and timber beams, avoiding any visual clash with the original structure. The restrained palette lets the heritage fabric remain the hero while the furniture carries the day-to-day wear of a busy restaurant.

A Bar Counter Built for Service

The marble bar counter and matching barstools create a dedicated service zone where drinks, coffee, and light dishes can be delivered quickly without interrupting the dining room flow. Its position between the bakery and the dining floor keeps staff movement short and the counter lively throughout service.

Communal Seating for Social Dining

Long communal tables with sturdy wooden chairs support group gatherings and shared menus, while smaller tables offer flexible seating for couples and business guests. The mix lets the venue shift effortlessly between a busy lunch service and a relaxed evening crowd.

All-Day Durability

Every surface was chosen to withstand continuous service, from the custom benchtop that anchors the room to the easy-clean seating used across the dining floor. This durability keeps maintenance predictable and helps the restaurant protect its investment in a high-traffic heritage setting.

Process

RON GROUP coordinated the complete furniture and decor package, from the marble bar counter and communal tables to seating and lighting details. Working with the building's heritage constraints, the sourcing team matched materials for consistent color, texture, and durability across every zone. The final arrangement supports both the visible production story and the operational pace of an all-day restaurant.

Project Results

• ✔️ Delivered a coordinated furniture and decor package for a heritage dining space
• ✔️ Created a consistent material language across bar, dining, and bakery zones
• ✔️ Supported all-day service with durable, easy-maintenance seating and surfaces
• ✔️ Reinforced Grana's grain-led Italian concept through layout and design details

Why Partner with RON GROUP

• Experience supplying furniture for heritage and high-traffic hospitality venues
• Full-service sourcing across counters, tables, seating, and decor elements
• Material coordination that keeps a brand identity consistent across the space
• End-to-end logistics from product selection to delivery

Grana shows how a heritage building can carry a modern restaurant concept through disciplined furniture and material choices. With RON GROUP's support, the venue now runs its grain-to-table story in a space that feels both historic and unmistakably contemporary.