Former AFL player and Lamaro’s Hotel publican Paul Dimattina is backing Fitzroy Street’s next chapter, with a cafe and deli planned for Fortis’s $131m The Gild development in St Kilda.
Former AFL player and Lamaro’s Hotel publican Paul Dimattina is making a major bet on the comeback of one of Melbourne’s most famous entertainment strips.
Dimattina has signed on to anchor Fortis’s $131m The Gild development in St Kilda, with a new cafe and neighbourhood deli planned for Fitzroy St.
The move gives the once-glamorous beachside strip a major hospitality name as developers, hoteliers and business owners try to drag the precinct into its next chapter.
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The former Western Bulldogs player said Fitzroy St’s identity made it the right place for his next hospitality move.
“I’m looking forward to being part of the revitalisation of Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, it has such a rich identity, and it feels like the right home for what we’re building,” Dimattina said.
“The cafe and deli will be an ode to our family’s history, culture, and our love of coffee and gourmet foods.”
The cafe will serve Dimattina Coffee, while the deli will offer premium produce, prepared meals and pantry staples.
Both venues are expected to open when The Gild is completed in the first half of 2028.
Fortis’s $131m The Gild development at 61-73 Fitzroy St will add new homes, hospitality and retail to one of St Kilda’s best-known strips.
Lamaro’s Hotel publican and former Western Bulldogs player Paul Dimattina will open a new cafe and neighbourhood deli at The Gild in St Kilda. Picture: Aaron Francis / Herald Sun
Fitzroy St has long been known for its pubs, restaurants, beachside nightlife and colourful St Kilda edge, but the strip has also battled empty shops and concerns about street disorder in recent years.
Dimattina’s deal is part of a wider Fortis-led St Kilda Collective push contributing more than $196m in development activity across the precinct.
The broader activity includes AirTrunk billionaire Robin Khuda’s separate redevelopment at 3-15 Fitzroy Street through Ondas, ERDI’s redevelopment of the former Rydges site into Novotel St Kilda, The Prince Hotel’s refresh under Grant Smillie and The Ganley Group’s expansion of heritage-listed pub The Fifth Province.
AirTrunk’s Robin Khuda is behind a separate Fitzroy Street redevelopment through Ondas, adding to the wider investment push around St Kilda’s famous strip. Picture: Jonathan Ng
Fortis Victorian commercial head of acquisitions Jordan Winada said Dimattina’s commitment showed confidence in Fitzroy Street’s future.
“Paul Dimattina’s cafe and deli at The Gild are exactly the kind of everyday hospitality offerings Fitzroy Street has been missing,” Mr Winada said.
“We expect these venues to become part of the local routine for residents and a drawcard for visitors, helping to bring activity back to the precinct.
“With Dimattina as our anchor tenant, The Gild is well placed to contribute to Fitzroy St’s revitalisation and help shape its next chapter.”
Lamaro’s Hotel has long been part of Melbourne’s hospitality scene, with Paul Dimattina now planning a deli-style venue for Fitzroy St.
Former Western Bulldogs player Paul Dimattina, pictured in action against Carlton, is now helping lead a hospitality play on St Kilda’s Fitzroy St.
The latest investment wave is being positioned as a turning point for the famous strip, with major property and hospitality players betting new apartments, hotels, bars, cafes and retail will help pull regular foot traffic back.
Mr Smillie said Fitzroy St was attracting renewed attention from investors and operators.
“Fitzroy Street has always been one of Melbourne’s great hospitality precincts,” Mr Smillie said.
“What we’re seeing now is a renewed confidence from investors, developers, operators and business owners who recognise St Kilda’s potential.”
The 61-73 Fitzroy Street site in April 2026, where Fortis has started work on The Gild, a $131m mixed-use project due for completion in 2028. Picture: Nearmap
The Gild’s upper-level residences will include penthouses with access to rooftop entertaining areas and views across Port Phillip Bay and Melbourne.
The Gild will include 45 one, two and three-bedroom homes, including penthouses, above its street-level venues.
Residents will also have access to private dining, a wellness studio, sauna, steam room, landscaped courtyard and rooftop entertaining areas with views across Port Phillip Bay and the city.
Building has started at the 61-73 Fitzroy St site, with completion scheduled for the first half of 2028.
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