Mulberry Group’s New All-Day Eatery Coupette Aims To Transform Southbank. 

Detected Manipulations & Suggested Changes

Unbalanced reporting

Presenting only one side of a story or perspective, without including alternative or critical viewpoints.

The entire article presents only the perspective of the venue and its owners/operators. It quotes Nathan Toleman and describes the venue’s concept, design, and menu in exclusively positive terms. There are no customer impressions, no mention of price/value considerations, no potential downsides (e.g., noise, crowding, accessibility, affordability), and no broader context such as competition or local community impact. Examples: - “But Coupette is the crown jewel.” - “Breakfast and brunch offerings are familiar but carefully sharpened.” - “Lunch and dinner are when the menu settles into its most confident rhythm.” - “Together with Coupette, it signals the Group’s ambition for Hannah St Hotel to function less like a sealed-off hotel precinct and more like a genuine neighbourhood hub.”

4 suggestions

Include perspectives from at least one or two customers (both positive and, if applicable, critical) to balance the venue’s self-presentation.

Mention any potential drawbacks or limitations (e.g., price range, noise level, booking difficulty, limited parking, accessibility) in neutral language.

Provide minimal comparative context, such as how Coupette fits into the broader Southbank/South Melbourne dining scene, without promotional exaggeration.

Clarify that some characterizations (e.g., ‘crown jewel’, ‘standout’) are the views of the owners or early fans, not established consensus.

Appeal to emotion

Using emotionally appealing language or imagery to create a positive impression rather than relying solely on neutral, factual description.

The article uses evocative, aspirational language to create a warm, desirable image of the venue, which nudges the reader toward a positive emotional response. Examples: - “There’s a small pocket between South Melbourne and Southbank that has long felt more like a passageway than a place to linger. Hiding beneath Queensbridge, it’s an area that’s often been overlooked – but that’s exactly why Nathan Toleman believes Coupette … belongs there.” (Romanticizes the transformation of an ‘overlooked’ area.) - “But Coupette is the crown jewel.” (Strongly positive, metaphorical framing.) - “Breakfast and brunch offerings are familiar but carefully sharpened.” (Value-laden phrasing implying superior refinement.) - “Lunch and dinner are when the menu settles into its most confident rhythm.” (Anthropomorphizing and emotionally positive framing.) - “The room itself … reinforces that sense of ease.” (Subjective emotional state presented as fact.)

4 suggestions

Replace metaphorical or emotionally loaded phrases with neutral, descriptive wording. For example, change “crown jewel” to “flagship venue in the group’s hotel offering.”

Attribute subjective impressions explicitly: e.g., “The design aims to create a sense of ease” instead of “reinforces that sense of ease.”

Clarify when statements are marketing or owner aspirations: e.g., “Toleman hopes Coupette will become a destination for locals and visitors” instead of implying it already is.

Use more concrete, measurable descriptors (seating capacity, layout, lighting levels, price range) instead of emotional generalities.

Unsubstantiated claims

Statements presented as fact without evidence, data, or clear attribution.

Several positive evaluations are presented as if they are established facts, without attribution to specific reviewers, customers, or data. Examples: - “But Coupette is the crown jewel.” (No evidence or source for this ranking within the group’s venues.) - “Breakfast and brunch offerings are familiar but carefully sharpened.” (No explanation of criteria or comparison.) - “… a dish Toleman describes as an elevated take on scrambled eggs, and one that’s quickly become a standout.” (No data or external source to support ‘quickly become a standout’—is this sales data, staff opinion, or marketing language?) - “Lunch and dinner are when the menu settles into its most confident rhythm.” (Subjective evaluation with no source.)

4 suggestions

Attribute subjective evaluations clearly: e.g., “Toleman describes Coupette as the ‘crown jewel’ of the group’s venues.”

When calling a dish a ‘standout’, specify the basis: “has been one of the most-ordered dishes since opening” or “staff say it has been particularly popular.”

Avoid absolute or ranking language unless supported by data (e.g., sales figures, awards, or independent reviews).

Use neutral phrasing such as “positioned as” or “intended to be” instead of asserting outcomes as already achieved.

Biased language

Use of value-laden or promotional wording that implicitly endorses one side or product.

The article uses several promotional or value-laden terms that go beyond neutral description. Examples: - “But Coupette is the crown jewel.” (Promotional superlative.) - “Breakfast and brunch offerings are familiar but carefully sharpened.” (‘Carefully sharpened’ implies superior refinement.) - “Lunch and dinner are when the menu settles into its most confident rhythm.” (‘Most confident rhythm’ is a flattering, non-neutral phrase.) - “The restaurant leans into a European aesthetic without tipping into pastiche.” (Implied aesthetic judgment that it succeeds where others might fail.) - “The wine list … designed to reward regulars.” (‘Reward’ is promotional framing.)

4 suggestions

Replace promotional superlatives with neutral descriptors: e.g., “Coupette is the group’s main restaurant in the hotel” instead of “crown jewel.”

Change evaluative phrases to factual ones: e.g., “The menu focuses on familiar breakfast dishes with some contemporary variations” instead of “carefully sharpened.”

Avoid implying success of design choices as fact; instead, describe them: “The restaurant features marble, brass and timber with baby-blue leather banquettes.”

Rephrase ‘designed to reward regulars’ to something like “includes a rotating by-the-glass selection that changes regularly.”

Oversimplification / Narrative fallacy

Creating a neat, simplified story that may gloss over complexity or alternative explanations.

The article frames the location as an ‘overlooked’ passageway now being transformed into a ‘neighbourhood hub’ by the venue, which fits a tidy transformation narrative and may oversimplify the area’s existing use and dynamics. Example: - “There’s a small pocket between South Melbourne and Southbank that has long felt more like a passageway than a place to linger. Hiding beneath Queensbridge, it’s an area that’s often been overlooked – but that’s exactly why Nathan Toleman believes Coupette … belongs there.” - “Together with Coupette, it signals the Group’s ambition for Hannah St Hotel to function less like a sealed-off hotel precinct and more like a genuine neighbourhood hub.”

4 suggestions

Acknowledge that the ‘overlooked’ characterization is subjective: e.g., “often described as more of a passageway than a place to linger” or “Toleman sees the area as overlooked.”

Note that the ‘neighbourhood hub’ role is an ambition rather than an established fact: e.g., “The group hopes the hotel will function as a neighbourhood hub.”

Briefly mention any existing venues or uses in the area, if relevant, to avoid implying that nothing existed before.

Avoid implying a completed transformation; instead, frame it as an ongoing development: “aims to contribute to making the area more of a place to linger.”