CCBR Business Review

8 MINGARA LEISURE GROUP has announced plans to build a 82-room hotel adjacent to its club facility at Tumbi Umbi. The $21 million hotel will be the culmina- tion of Mingara’s original site masterplan to locate a hotel on the site when they moved to their new premises some thirty years ago. Mingara CEO, Paul Barnett said, “After undertaking the appropriate due diligence to explore the feasibility of the project, we have partnered with a team of special- The opening this month of a new Thai restaurant at Fountain Plaza Erina has cre- ated a new ‘food precinct’ that will attract a wider patronage to the Plaza particularly in the evenings and weekends. Probably the most successful commer- cial centre on the Central Coast, Fountain Plaza, in recent years has drawn a growing number of food outlets taking advantage of its location, parking space and a changing demographic with money in their pockets. NK Thai Kitchen owner Phillip Panin has opened the restaurant having owned a similar restaurant in Sydney for many years. Also, opening next month is Harrys Schnitzel Joint a growing fast food restau- rant chain with four stores in Newcastle. Meanwhile, Fountain Plaza is home to a ist consultants to design a hotel offering for the Mingara precinct with Marchese Partners being appointed architects.” A Development Application has been lodged with the Central Coast Council for the project. The Mingara hotel will feature 82 rooms over five floors and will provide easy access to all the club facilities for guests staying there. Aesthetically, the hotel will look and feel like the recent transformation works number of other food outlets all of which complement the food offer: Cheekie Charles opens for breakfast seven days a week and is well known as a coffee stop for workers heading off for the day and continues through until late afternoon. Until COVID hit Cheekie’s also opened on Friday and Saturday nights. Owner Craig Scott says that he will be opening in the evenings soon although he makes a point, as do many other café and restaurant owners, that good staff are very hard to find which is delaying his move. Bakehouse Café which is owned by Paul and Kate Mackie opened in Fountain Plaza about twelve years ago. The Mackie’s are long standing Central Coast bakery family with five other cafes plus a central kitchen in Erina that produces breads, pastries and cakes daily for their stores. Yume Modern Japanese Restaurant, owned by Cordon Bleau Chef Stanley Song, opened about three years ago. Yume has become a popular venue for their Teppanyaki menu. Guzman y Gomez Mexican takeaway is part of a growing fast food chain setting up in Fountain Plaza three years ago. New York Pizza Bar Grill was an initia- tive of the Brand Group, owners of Fountain Plaza, set up five years ago to promote the Hotel for Mingara Club Food offer at Fountain Plaza complete with opening of new Thai B U S I N E S S N E W S at Mingara and will have a distinctive pres- ence at the entrance to the club. “This development will provide much- needed quality accommodation on the Central Coast which is great for local tour- ism and will further position Mingara as an iconic destination. In addition, the project will provide an injection into the local econ- omy through the provision of local jobs and supply opportunities for businesses,” Mr Barnett said. The Greens The Entrance bowling club Meanwhile Mingara is proceeding with the redevelopment of The Greens The Entrance club following an electrical fire that destroyed the clubhouse last year. Mingara is investing $20 million in a new club house with lounge and sports bar and two undercover bowling greens. Demolition of the damaged club build- ing was completed in early 2022. Mingara reached an agreement with Central Coast Council in May last year to acquire the property at 2-4 Park Road, The Entrance which had been occupied by The Greens Club under lease from Council for over eighty years. Plaza as a food hub. Subsequently pur- chased by Joe Walters and Belinda Lawler. The New York inspired restaurant with its popular bar and menu has proved to be a popular lunch spot for local business people and even more popular on eve- nings from Wednesday to Sunday. Remy & Co Pizza and Pasta Bar . This unique little restaurant located in the alleyway between Fountain Plaza and the adjacent Platinum Building specialises in Italian cuisine. Set up in 2014 and now owned by Amelia Preston and Ben Lawrie for the past year this restaurant is finding itself a name for food lovers across the Central Coast. Ilya , formerly known as Quattro, is located adjacent to Fountain Plaza in the Platinum Building, this restaurant was established as an upmarket restaurant to service the occupants in Platinum some twelve years ago. While it has had a num- ber of owners Chef Benjamin Craig who bought it a year ago has transformed the venue creating a new menu and opening for breakfast and lunch from Monday to Thursday and dinner Friday Saturday and Sunday. With a seating capacity of 90 peo- ple Ilya has introduced Live Music Fridays featuring a number of well known local musicians which is proving very popular. Mingara Club entrance with adjacent proposed hotel CENTRAL COAST BUSINESS REVIEW MAY 2022