Privacy Commitment
At The Flop & Fork, we are committed to protecting the privacy of guests, suppliers, and visitors to our website at https://theflopandfork.com/. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information in accordance with applicable Australian privacy laws, including the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).
We treat your personal information with the same care and discretion that we apply to the bistro, cocktail bar, and private card lounge experiences we curate in our venue. By engaging with us in person or online, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.
Information We Collect
We may collect personal information directly from you, from your interactions with us, or from third parties acting on your behalf. The type of information we collect will depend on how you interact with The Flop & Fork.
Information you provide directly
This may include:
- Contact details such as your name, email address, phone number, and postal address
- Reservation details for dining, functions, private events, or card lounge bookings
- Information submitted through our online forms, including the General Enquiries page
- Preferences you share relating to seating, dietary requirements, accessibility, or occasion details
- Professional details when you engage with us as a supplier, partner, or potential team member
Information collected automatically
When you visit our website, we may automatically collect limited technical information, such as:
- Device and browser information
- IP address and general location (e.g. city or region)
- Pages viewed, time spent on pages, and navigation paths
- Referring website or source of visit
This information is typically collected via cookies and similar technologies and is used in an aggregated and de-identified form for analytics and service improvement. For more detail, please refer to our Cookie Policy.
Sensitive information
In some cases, we may collect limited sensitive information when it is relevant to your experience, such as health-related details associated with dietary restrictions or accessibility needs. We only collect this information with your consent and handle it with heightened care.
How We Use Your Data
We use your personal information to operate The Flop & Fork venue, deliver our services, and enhance your experience both online and in person.
Service delivery and venue operations
Your information may be used to:
- Manage and confirm reservations for our bistro, cocktail bar, and private card lounge
- Coordinate group bookings, functions, and special events hosted at our venue
- Respond to enquiries submitted via our Contact Us page or in person
- Tailor your visit based on stated preferences, such as seating, dietary needs, or special occasions
Guest experience and improvements
We may use your information to:
- Analyse how guests interact with our website and digital touchpoints
- Improve our menus, venue offerings, events, and hospitality services
- Maintain the security and integrity of our systems and website
Marketing and communication
With your consent where required, we may use your contact details to:
- Send curated hospitality updates, including new menu features for The Fork Bistro
- Share information about special functions and private events featured on our Functions page
- Inform you of in-venue experiences such as card lounge evenings or social events highlighted under Events
You can opt out of marketing communications at any time, as described in the section on Marketing Communications.
Legal Bases for Processing
We process personal information in accordance with Australian privacy law, and where applicable, broader data protection principles. Depending on the context, we rely on one or more of the following legal bases:
- Your consent: For example, when you subscribe to receive hospitality news, special offers, or event invitations, or when you provide sensitive information such as dietary or accessibility details.
- Performance of a contract or steps taken at your request: Such as confirming reservations, coordinating functions, or responding to booking enquiries.
- Legitimate interests: Including operating and improving our physical venue and website, ensuring security, and providing personalised hospitality experiences, where these interests are not overridden by your privacy rights.
- Compliance with legal obligations: Where we are required by law to retain or disclose certain information, for example for health, safety, or regulatory reporting purposes.
Where we rely on your consent, you can withdraw that consent at any time using the contact details provided in the Contact & Queries section.
Data Sharing & Third Parties
We do not sell your personal information. However, we may share limited information with trusted third parties where it is necessary to operate The Flop & Fork and provide our services.
Service providers
We may engage specialist providers that support our business operations, such as:
- Reservation and booking platforms
- Payment processors and financial services providers
- Email and marketing communication tools
- Website hosting, analytics, and IT support partners
Where these providers handle personal information on our behalf, they are required to use it only for the purposes we authorise, to keep it secure, and to comply with applicable privacy requirements.
Legal and safety reasons
We may disclose information where reasonably necessary to:
- Comply with applicable laws, regulations, or lawful requests
- Protect the safety, rights, or property of our guests, team members, or the public
- Support the investigation or prevention of fraud or suspected unlawful activity
Business changes
In the event of a business restructure, merger, or transfer of operations relating to The Flop & Fork, personal information may be transferred as part of that process, subject to continued protections consistent with this Privacy Policy.
Storage & Data Security
We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement reasonable safeguards designed to protect it from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure.
How we protect your information
Measures may include:
- Restricting access to personal information to authorised personnel and trusted service providers who require it for legitimate purposes
- Using secure systems and networks with access controls and, where appropriate, encryption
- Maintaining physical security measures within our venue and administrative areas
- Implementing internal procedures and training designed to support privacy and data protection
Retention
We retain personal information only for as long as it is reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy, or as required or permitted by law. When information is no longer needed, we take steps to de-identify or securely destroy it.
Your Data Rights
Under Australian privacy law, you have certain rights in relation to the personal information we hold about you. Subject to applicable exemptions, these may include the right to:
- Request access to the personal information we hold about you
- Request corrections or updates to ensure your information is accurate, complete, and up to date
- Request deletion of your personal information where it is no longer needed for our purposes, or where we have collected it based on your consent
- Object to certain types of processing, such as direct marketing
- Withdraw your consent where we rely on consent as the legal basis for processing
We will respond to requests within a reasonable time and in accordance with applicable laws. To exercise these rights, please contact us using the details in the Contact & Queries section, or reach out via our Contact Us page.
Marketing Communications
From time to time, we may send you hospitality-focused communications about The Flop & Fork, including:
- Updates to our bistro menus, seasonal cuisine, and specials featured under Bistro and Cuisine
- Information on cocktail innovations and mixology experiences spotlighted on our Mixology page
- Announcements of venue events, social functions, and card lounge evenings listed in Events and Lounge
We will only send you electronic marketing communications where we have your consent or where otherwise permitted by law. You can opt out at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions in our emails or by contacting us directly.
Opting out of marketing communications will not affect other essential communications, such as reservation confirmations or responses to direct enquiries.
International Data Transfers
The Flop & Fork is based in Australia and our hospitality offerings are delivered from our physical venue. However, some of our trusted service providers or systems may be located overseas, or may store data on servers outside Australia.
Where personal information is transferred outside Australia, we take reasonable steps to ensure that the recipient will handle your information in a manner consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles and this Privacy Policy. This may include contractual safeguards and careful selection of reputable service providers.
Policy Updates
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our venue operations, hospitality offerings, website functionality, or applicable legal requirements.
When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and may provide additional notice on our website or via email where appropriate. We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed about how we protect your privacy.
Contact & Queries
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or the way The Flop & Fork handles your personal information, you can contact our designated privacy contact using the form on our Contact Us page.
When you contact us about a privacy matter, please provide sufficient detail for us to understand and respond to your request. We may ask you to verify your identity before fulfilling certain requests, such as access or correction, to help protect your information.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). We welcome the opportunity to address your concerns directly in the first instance.