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Call of
The Wild
Having carved out a successful career in hospitality, Dan Galati found his true calling thousands of kilometres away, deep in the wilds of Africa.
By Anna Rizzo-Tassone
Breakfast Point resident and entrepreneur Dan Galati has never been afraid of hard work or taking risks. In 1996, as a young 22-year-old with only a couple of years of experience in hospitality, he opened Bar Milazzo in Pitt Street, the first of several iconic restaurants in Sydney’s CBD. Only three years later a second Bar Milazzo was opened at the Stock Exchange, followed closely by Bar Quattro inside nearby Hyde Park.
“I grew up in the hospitality industry and all my friends were in it so it felt natural to follow that career path,” says Dan. “Sydney’s CBD was thriving in those days and I wanted to be amongst it. I worked hard and played hard and picked up many life and business lessons early on in my career.”
As Dan’s restaurants flourished, the desire to create a successful catering arm of the business had always been simmering in the background. Soon, Milazzo Catering were the go-to caterers for many high-profile corporate companies in and around the CBD. Today, Dan’s catering business services the majority of the navy ships docked at Garden Island in Sydney Harbour. “We have three commercial kitchens and 50 staff that facilitate the Defence orders and many top corporate accounts on a daily basis.”
Call of
The Wild
Having carved out a successful career in hospitality, Dan Galati found his true calling thousands of kilometres away, deep in the wilds of Africa.
By Anna Rizzo-Tassone
Breakfast Point resident and entrepreneur Dan Galati has never been afraid of hard work or taking risks. In 1996, as a young 22-year-old with only a couple of years of experience in hospitality, he opened Bar Milazzo in Pitt Street, the first of several iconic restaurants in Sydney’s CBD. Only three years later a second Bar Milazzo was opened at the Stock Exchange, followed closely by Bar Quattro inside nearby Hyde Park.
“I grew up in the hospitality industry and all my friends were in it so it felt natural to follow that career path,” says Dan. “Sydney’s CBD was thriving in those days and I wanted to be amongst it. I worked hard and played hard and picked up many life and business lessons early on in my career.”
As Dan’s restaurants flourished, the desire to create a successful catering arm of the business had always been simmering in the background. Soon, Milazzo Catering were the go-to caterers for many high-profile corporate companies in and around the CBD. Today, Dan’s catering business services the majority of the navy ships docked at Garden Island in Sydney Harbour. “We have three commercial kitchens and 50 staff that facilitate the Defence orders and many top corporate accounts on a daily basis.”
But as the years of early-morning starts and late finishes began to take their toll, Dan envisioned a life where he could spend his days exploring new business ideas and leaving the nights for restaurant work. So in 2004 he decided to sell each of his ventures in the CBD and take time for some self-reflection. “I felt a little burnt out and I needed some time to reset.”
That reset would be short-lived though, as Dan soon spotted another opportunity he couldn’t resist. “At the time I was living in Tamarama. I had a friend who was running a successful Thai restaurant in Bondi that had a real vibe. I had never eaten local Thai, but once I tried it I immediately thought, This is the kind of restaurant missing in Concord. I had the know-how to make things happen, so in 2005, along with my brother Rob, we opened Baywok Concord, which has been successfully trading for 18 years.”
Growing up a local boy in Concord with Italian-born parents, Dan has always been proud of his Italian heritage, so opening up Fratelli & Co. in 2016 in Concord, again with his brother, made a lot of sense.
The restaurant, which is a favourite among locals, is also respected within the wider Italian community – Fratelli & Co. received the prestigious ”Ospitalita’ Italiana Project” award two years running for its contribution to authentic Italian cuisine, products, style of service and for upholding traditional Italian cooking methods.
Early in his career in 2003, Dan was asked a pivotal question that would stay with him for years: If you could pick any job that you’d like to do irrespective of money, what would it be? Dan answered, “I’d like to become a safari tour guide and be in the plains of Africa amongst the animals.” For years Dan dwelled on his response to a question he’d never entertained or thought possible.
So when it was announced that the 2010 FIFA World Cup was going to be held in South Africa, he thought he’d finally get his chance to attend the soccer final and experience his first-ever safari.
When booking his trip, Dan took the advice of a commercial travel agent who recommended a South African park as the best destination to experience a safari. He booked a group tour in a private reserve of the greater Kruger National Park, followed by a self-drive experience throughout Kruger. Dan found the landscape scenic but was left disappointed to not see his favourite big cats. “The sightings were hit and miss. There was also news of poachers being in the park at the time that left me feeling uneasy.”
Feeling underwhelmed, Dan returned to Sydney, resolved to find out which African safari parks were home to a large pride of lions and where the documentaries were being filmed that showed the fast-running cheetahs chasing gazelles. He soon discovered his next adventure had to be to East Africa and not South Africa as previously recommended. “Two years later I booked a trip to Kenya and witnessed the annual Great Migration where millions of wildebeests, Burchell’s zebras, antelopes and other herd animals trek from the Serengeti in Tanzania across crocodile-infested Mara River into Kenya’s Maasai Mara. It was breathtaking and everything I was expecting to see.”
Dan’s next expedition in 2013 would involve raising money to build a school in Masai Mara and attend a boutique safari camp run by acclaimed Kenyan entrepreneur and wildlife conservationist Nelson Ole Reiyia. This life-changing trip would reaffirm Dan’s strong intuition that this is what he was meant to be doing and set him on a path realising his dream.
“I now have a team of local Kenyans who are experienced drivers and safari guides who have lived their lives solely working in the bush and safari industry. They understand the movements of the animals and the necessary safety precautions of the environment. Together we create bespoke safari tours to cater for all types of travellers.”
Dan can track his love for safari animals as far back as a young boy. “I was always a huge fan of those National Geographic documentaries and images. I had the desire to recreate the raw and unfiltered beauty of those images that left a mark on me, and knew the best way to share the spectacle with friends and family was through the camera lens.” With no experience or training, Dan would begin to take a camera on all his adventures, learning to understand the landscape, light and behaviour of the animals to safely get closer and secure that thrilling shot.
“I got better on the job, my camera set-up became more professional and it was clear my photos were resonating with people all over the world as they were being shared across social media accounts with millions of followers.”
In his everyday life, Dan lives in Breakfast Point with his two daughters Olivia and Sofia and his wife Ana, whom he credits with helping him with all of his achievements. “My wife is my business partner, confidant and support. She balances me out and without her, I know wouldn’t be where I am.” Dan will admit his lifestyle can be extremely busy and sometimes stressful but he credits meditation, breath work and cold water therapy as being influential in keeping him calm, sharp and focused. “I’ve done a lot of inner work and believe intently on visualisation and manifestation. I really believe I’m still at the beginning phase of my potential.”
Dan continues to visit Kenya regularly and has a local office in Nairobi. Along with his team, he organises group tours for travellers all over the world to various parts of Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda for people interested in gorilla trekking. He reminisces on one such special trip where he accompanied a group of professional zookeepers from Taronga Zoo, each with over 25 years of experience, to Nashulai Maasai Conservancy in Kenya. “It was so gratifying to be around a group of people so knowledgeable about animals and share with them a different perspective in the wild. We witnessed the birth of a giraffe and, although they’d seen it before at the zoo, it was very exciting to see it and share the experience in the wild.”
For any budding wildlife photographer, Dan has a few tips on getting started that strangely align with his philosophies on life. “You don’t need to start with an expensive camera or lens, a basic digital SLR and an entry-level zoom lens or even a new model iPhone can be just as good. What’s important is that you don’t forget to be present and in the moment. Certain wildlife sightings are a once-in-a-lifetime privilege, so stay present and have fun, because you don’t want to miss a fleeting wildlife moment being distracted by your camera.”
But as the years of early-morning starts and late finishes began to take their toll, Dan envisioned a life where he could spend his days exploring new business ideas and leaving the nights for restaurant work. So in 2004 he decided to sell each of his ventures in the CBD and take time for some self-reflection. “I felt a little burnt out and I needed some time to reset.”
That reset would be short-lived though, as Dan soon spotted another opportunity he couldn’t resist. “At the time I was living in Tamarama. I had a friend who was running a successful Thai restaurant in Bondi that had a real vibe. I had never eaten local Thai, but once I tried it I immediately thought, This is the kind of restaurant missing in Concord. I had the know-how to make things happen, so in 2005, along with my brother Rob, we opened Baywok Concord, which has been successfully trading for 18 years.”
Growing up a local boy in Concord with Italian-born parents, Dan has always been proud of his Italian heritage, so opening up Fratelli & Co. in 2016 in Concord, again with his brother, made a lot of sense. The restaurant, which is a favourite among locals, is also respected within the wider Italian community – Fratelli & Co. received the prestigious ”Ospitalita’ Italiana Project” award two years running for its contribution to authentic Italian cuisine, products, style of service and for upholding traditional Italian cooking methods.
Early in his career in 2003, Dan was asked a pivotal question that would stay with him for years: If you could pick any job that you’d like to do irrespective of money, what would it be? Dan answered, “I’d like to become a safari tour guide and be in the plains of Africa amongst the animals.” For years Dan dwelled on his response to a question he’d never entertained or thought possible.
So when it was announced that the 2010 FIFA World Cup was going to be held in South Africa, he thought he’d finally get his chance to attend the soccer final and experience his first-ever safari.
When booking his trip, Dan took the advice of a commercial travel agent who recommended a South African park as the best destination to experience a safari. He booked a group tour in a private reserve of the greater Kruger National Park, followed by a self-drive experience throughout Kruger. Dan found the landscape scenic but was left disappointed to not see his favourite big cats. “The sightings were hit and miss. There was also news of poachers being in the park at the time that left me feeling uneasy.”
Feeling underwhelmed, Dan returned to Sydney, resolved to find out which African safari parks were home to a large pride of lions and where the
documentaries were being filmed that showed the fast-running cheetahs chasing gazelles. He soon discovered his next adventure had to be to East Africa and not South Africa as previously recommended. “Two years later I booked a trip to Kenya and witnessed the annual Great Migration where millions of wildebeests, Burchell’s zebras, antelopes and other herd animals trek from the Serengeti in Tanzania across crocodile-infested Mara River into Kenya’s Maasai Mara. It was breathtaking and everything I was expecting to see.”
“I now have a team of local Kenyans who are experienced drivers and safari guides who have lived their lives solely working in the bush and safari industry. They understand the movements of the animals and the necessary safety precautions of the environment. Together we create bespoke safari tours to cater for all types of travellers.”
“I got better on the job, my camera set-up became more professional and it was clear my photos were resonating with people all over the world as they were being shared across social media accounts with millions of followers.”
In his everyday life, Dan lives in Breakfast Point with his two daughters Olivia and Sofia and his wife Ana, whom he credits with helping him with all of his achievements. “My wife is my business partner, confidant and support. She balances me out and without her, I know wouldn’t be where I am.” Dan will admit his lifestyle can be extremely busy and sometimes stressful but he credits meditation, breath work and cold water therapy as being influential in keeping him calm, sharp and focused. “I’ve done a lot of inner work and believe intently on visualisation and manifestation. I really believe I’m still at the beginning phase of my potential.”
Dan continues to visit Kenya regularly and has a local office in Nairobi. Along with his team, he organises group tours for travellers all over the world to various parts of Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda for people interested in gorilla trekking. He reminisces on one such special trip where he accompanied a group of professional zookeepers from Taronga Zoo, each with over 25 years of experience, to Nashulai Maasai Conservancy in Kenya. “It was so gratifying to be around a group of people so knowledgeable about animals and share with them a different perspective in the wild. We witnessed the birth of a giraffe and, although they’d seen it before at the zoo, it was very exciting to see it and share the experience in the wild.”
“You don’t need to start with an expensive camera or lens, a basic digital SLR and an entry-level zoom lens or even a new model iPhone can be just as good. What’s important is that you don’t forget to be present and in the moment. Certain wildlife sightings are a once-in-a-lifetime privilege, so stay present and have fun, because you don’t want to miss a fleeting wildlife moment being distracted by your camera.”
Photos: From Left, Ash and Jason Ayad and Rob and Dan Galati, Fratelli & Co. Restaurant, Lion in Masai Mara, Dan with Maasai locals
Instagram @dan.galati
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