Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword… it’s an urgent responsibility. Julian Cincotta, Co-founder of Butter, shares how we can work together for a more sustainable future.

Julian V. Cincotta has made a name for himself in the Sydney hospitality scene with his bold approach to food, culture, and community. As the co-founder of Butter, he’s created an iconic venue that blends fried chicken, hip-hop, champagne, and sneaker culture into a unique dining experience. Beyond the indulgence, Julian is deeply committed to sustainability and industry collaboration. In our conversation, Julian shares insights on his journey, the evolution of Butter, and how the hospitality industry can work together towards a more sustainable future.

Can you tell us about your journey in the hospitality industry and what led you to open Butter?

Hospitality has always been in my blood. I’ve worked across different venues and concepts, but I’ve always been drawn to places that bring people together over bold flavours, culture, and experience. The idea for Butter came from our love of food, sneakers, and music… we wanted to create a space that felt like an extension of culture rather than just another restaurant.

Fried chicken, hip-hop, champagne, and sneakers might seem like an unusual mix, but for us, it was about celebrating indulgence and creativity in a way that felt authentic, fun, and unapologetically unique. Butter is more than a food venue—it’s a culture.

What was the inspiration behind Butter’s concept, blending fried chicken, champagne, and hip-hop culture?

Butter is a love letter to the culture that shaped us growing up—hip-hop, sneakers, and great food. Sydney hadn’t really seen a space that merged these elements before, and we saw an opportunity to create something fresh and exciting.

We wanted to connect with the music community, making Butter a multi-dimensional venue that goes beyond food. It’s a space for dining, takeaways, music, and live events—giving young and up-and-coming artists a platform to perform while fostering a rich connection with the community. We took fun comfort food (fried chicken), elevated it with a luxurious touch (champagne), and wrapped it in the energy of sneaker culture and hip-hop. It’s all about self-expression, indulgence, and not taking things too seriously.

Sustainability is a growing focus in hospitality, and one you’re passionate about. What steps is Butter taking to reduce waste and operate more sustainably?

Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword… it’s an urgent responsibility. At Butter, we’re constantly looking at how we can minimize waste, reduce our footprint, and make sustainability practical and accessible.

We’ve partnered with Betizen, our own company, to introduce reusable food packaging, cutting down on single-use waste. We’re also part of Hospo Declare, a soon-to-launch industry movement connecting venues to share knowledge and take action on waste reduction, ethical sourcing, and carbon footprint reduction. Additionally, we focus on smarter portioning and waste management, working with suppliers to use surplus ingredients creatively. The reality is, no single business can fix these issues alone. That’s why collaboration across the industry is so important.

What do you think our industry can do to lead the way in sustainability?

We can’t do it alone—this has to be a collective effort. The best way forward is transparency and collaboration, where businesses share best practices, supplier connections, and resources to help each other move towards a more sustainable future.

As an industry, we need better access to reusable packaging programs so initiatives like Betizen become the norm. A stronger network of venues sharing waste reduction strategies is crucial, and Hospo Declare is a great start, but we need more operators working together. Education at every level is key, from suppliers to staff to customers, ensuring everyone understands the impact of their choices. We also need collective action on sourcing, supporting regenerative farming, sustainable seafood, and local supply chains. If we all make small changes together, the impact is huge.

How do you think sustainability will shape the future of the hospitality scene?

Sustainability isn’t a trend, it’s the future. Venues that don’t adapt will struggle because customers are becoming more conscious of their impact. But this isn’t just about optics; it’s about the bigger picture. Hospitality has a massive footprint… we feed people every day, and we have a powerful voice to drive change.

In the next few years, I think we’ll see more shared knowledge between venues, with businesses working together instead of competing on sustainability. There will be greater accountability on waste and sourcing, as customers expect transparency. A shift towards circular economy models will occur, incorporating reusables, composting networks, and partnerships that make waste a resource rather than a problem. Menus will also be designed with sustainability in mind, focusing on portion control and low-waste ingredients.

So how can hospitality businesses work together to share knowledge and resources on sustainability?

It starts with breaking down walls and having the conversations. After all, we’re all facing the same challenges, so why not solve them together?

We need more open forums where venues share supplier recommendations for ethical sourcing, learn from each other’s waste reduction strategies, and work collectively to push for better packaging alternatives from suppliers. Hospo Declare is already fostering this kind of cross-industry conversation, but there’s so much more we can do. If we work together, we can create an industry-wide shift, not just small, isolated changes.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’re facing as a restaurant right now?

The biggest challenge right now is the cost of doing business. Everything from rent to wages to produce costs is going up, and margins are tighter than ever. Being sustainable and getting the right information to make the right decisions. Sustainability isn’t just about the planet—there is business sustainability, and its monetary sustainability for venues to stay open, serve customers, employ and train staff is the number one priority. We also face staffing challenges—hospitality has seen a huge shift post-COVID, and retaining great people is tough.

As the hospitality industry evolves, collaboration and sustainability will be at the heart of its future. Julian’s approach with Butter proves that venues can stay bold and exciting while making meaningful changes for the environment. By working together, sharing knowledge, and staying accountable, the industry has a real opportunity to drive impactful, lasting change. Our key takeaway? Sustainability isn’t a solo journey—it’s one we need to take together.

Join Hospo Declare in crafting a legacy of sustainability, where we can make a real difference, one sustainable choice at a time.