Cookatoo connects Perth and South West WA's finest restaurants, hotels, and venues with exceptional chefs, managers and front-of-house professionals on a permanent basis, every time.
From Perth's hat-awarded fine diners to Margaret River cellar doors and South West neighbourhood favourites, Cookatoo places permanent staff across the full breadth of Western Australia's food and hospitality industry.
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Not sure if your venue fits? get in touch and we'll let you know how we can help.
Finding great hospitality professionals is only half the challenge. Keeping them is where most placements fail. We're built to solve both.
of hospitality workers leave within their first year (Australian HR Institute, 2023)
High staff turnover is not just a nuisance. It actively damages your team culture, disrupts service quality, and costs you far more than the placement fee.
the annual salary, the true cost of a bad hire (SEEK Hiring Insights, 2023)
A bad hire carries hidden costs: lost productivity, rehiring, retraining, and team disruption. Industry estimates put the total impact at up to three times the role's salary.
the typical time a key hospitality role sits unfilled (SEEK Hiring Insights, 2023)
In hospitality, understaffing is immediately visible to your guests. Six weeks without the right person means burnt-out staff, eroded service standards, and lost bookings.
See It for Yourself
Bad hires in the past year
1Based on industry research estimating bad hire costs at 3× annual salary, including lost productivity, rehiring and retraining.
The cost comparison
$210,000
Cost of bad hire
Ask us
Cookatoo placement fee
0wk
rebate guarantee
Casuals plug gaps. Permanent staff build businesses. There's a fundamental difference in performance, loyalty, and the experience they deliver. Cookatoo exists to find you the latter.
Permanent staff invest in your business, build relationships with regulars, and elevate your service standards every single shift, because they see a future there.
One quality permanent placement costs less over three years than the endless cycle of temp fees, agency premiums, and emergency cover that casual staffing demands.
Guests notice when staff know their names, remember their preferences, and genuinely care. Only permanent employees build those relationships that keep guests coming back.
You only pay when we place the right person. With up to 20 weeks rebate or free replacement, your investment is protected long after day one.
We handle the heavy lifting so you can focus on running your venue. Here's exactly what to expect when you work with Cookatoo.
Step 01
We start by listening. You tell us everything: your venue, your team culture, your non-negotiables, and what the ideal hire looks like in your specific environment.
Step 02
We craft a precise role brief together: skills, experience level, personality fit, and long-term potential, so every candidate we present is genuinely right for your team.
Step 03
Our network activates. We proactively headhunt from our curated database of WA hospitality professionals. Not just those actively job hunting, but the best in the field.
Step 04
You receive a shortlist of 3 to 5 thoroughly vetted candidates, each assessed against your brief, interviewed by us, and presented with our detailed recommendation.
Step 05
We coordinate the entire interview process and stay close throughout, so you get expert advice at every step and make the right hire with complete confidence.
Step 06
Your new team member starts. We check in at 4 weeks and 12 weeks to ensure a smooth transition for both sides, and back every placement with up to 20 weeks rebate or a free replacement if things don't work out.
Alexander Scrase
Founder, Cookatoo
I started in hospitality at 16 in Perth, washing dishes, working the line, learning what it actually takes to run a kitchen and a floor under pressure. Over the next 14 years I worked my way through cafés, fine dining, and Michelin-starred kitchens across Perth and London.
Perth is where my love for this industry began, the energy of a busy service, the craft of a well-run venue, the people who make it what it is. So when I decided to move into recruitment, coming back to the city where it all started was never a question.
In London, I founded Cookaburra, a hospitality recruitment agency placing exceptional talent across some of the city's best venues. Two years later, I launched Cookatoo back in WA with the same approach, the same standard, and the same belief that great recruitment is personal.
Together, the two agencies are working to bridge the gap between Australia and the United Kingdom, two of the world's great hospitality markets. I won't put someone in front of you that I wouldn't hire myself.
14+
Years in hospitality
Age 16
Started in Perth
London
Michelin-starred kitchens
London
Founder, Cookaburra UK
The Retention Case for Wellness
Hospitality has long carried a culture that takes more from people than it gives back. As the industry evolves and a younger generation moves away from that, the businesses that invest in their people beyond the payslip will be the ones that attract and keep the best talent.
That's why every candidate we place gets access to our Wellness Perks Portfolio, with discounted rates at gyms, studios, and wellbeing venues across Perth and the South West. And because culture is a team effort, we extend those same perks to your entire existing team at no extra cost.
% of employees still employed. Source: SHRM Workforce Research (2023), Deloitte Global Wellbeing Report (2024).
Our Wellness Partners
Both packages include our placement guarantee and are priced at a competitive commission based on the candidate's first-year salary.
Our foundation service. We handle the full search: discovery session, job brief, advertising, screening, right-to-work checks, salary benchmarking and interview coordination. You receive a curated shortlist of two to three people worth meeting, with performance tracking and a 12-week rebate to protect your investment.
Commission % of first-year salary · confirmed on discovery call
Everything in Professional, extended. Premium advertising, targeted headhunting, cultural fit assessment, contract review and a dedicated senior consultant from brief to handover. Our 20-week rebate period and retention consultation give you the deepest level of confidence in every hire.
Commission % of first-year salary · confirmed on discovery call
Not sure which package suits your needs? Book a discovery call and we'll guide you through the right choice.
Book a free 15-minute consultation using the calendar, or drop your details below to download a copy of our Salary Benchmark Guide for 2026.
We'll respond within one business day.
Free, no-obligation discovery session.
Can't see the calendar? Book directly on CalendlyCookatoo is a Western Australian recruitment agency, built for Western Australian hospitality. We know the venues, the market, and the talent because we're part of it.
From Fremantle's waterfront dining to the CBD's rooftop bars and inner-suburb neighbourhood gems, we recruit across every Perth suburb and style of venue.
Margaret River, Busselton, Dunsborough and beyond. We understand the seasonal rhythms and year-round staffing needs of WA's most celebrated wine and food region.
Based outside these areas? Get in touch and we'd love to hear from you.
