David Jones

Sara Flaksbard

Transforming David Jones into a Multi-Level Culinary Experience
One of the most ambitious moments of a five-day Sydney incentive program saw Laissez-Faire Catering transform David Jones’ flagship Elizabeth Street store into a fully immersive hospitality experience.

For one evening, the iconic department store closed exclusively for the event, allowing 500 guests to explore a progressive culinary journey across multiple levels of the luxury retail destination.

Working closely with the client during the creative development process, Laissez-Faire Catering collaborated with AV1 and Simply Seated to design a unique food and beverage activation for each floor of the store.

Guests arrived to live music before beginning their exploration of the venue, moving between departments that had been transformed into sophisticated hospitality spaces. Each floor offered its own curated culinary and beverage concept, creating a sense of discovery throughout the evening.

From elegant seafood bites and gourmet canapés to bespoke cocktails and dessert moments, the experience encouraged guests to interact with the space in an entirely new way while enjoying premium hospitality.

Delivering the event required meticulous operational planning, with catering equipment, bars and service teams installed across multiple levels of the building within a tight timeframe after the store closed.

The seamless coordination between sales, operations and event partners ensured the transformation from retail environment to luxury event space happened flawlessly.

The result was a landmark event experience that reimagined one of Sydney’s most iconic retail spaces as a vibrant, multi-level dining destination.