Sunshine Coast Council
An opportunity to establish a new café business on community land in Happy Valley at Bulcock Beach, Caloundra has been given the green light by council.
Divisional Councillor Tim Dwyer said a new commercial café lease at Happy Valley would provide numerous community benefits.
"Council is committed to ensuring that land set aside for the community is preserved for community use in accordance with its legal obligations," Cr Dwyer said.
"Preserving community land for its primary purpose is paramount, however, it is recognised that in some circumstances, commercial use of community land may enhance the area and provide a benefit to the community.
"This proposal involves installing a 6 metre shipping container café at Happy Valley, in the area which has been occupied by a food and snack van for the past two and a half years.
"The current permit with the refreshment van expires in June this year and council agrees that a commercial café will improve the experience for visitors at the nearby park and provide a more secure and viable business opportunity for the successful tenderer.
"The café will be adjacent to ample seating areas, public toilets and a popular playground and will give the park users the option to enjoy food and drinks while watching their children play, or for beachgoers to have a quick refreshment.
"This will offer a point of difference for this operator.
"It's also positioned far enough away from existing businesses so they are not in direct competition."
Council will offer a five-year lease with a five-year option to the successful tenderer to provide tenure security to enable them to invest into their business.
Hospitality experts Hiller undertook a detailed design of the proposed new café to ensure the internal layout would suit a wide range of potential operators while providing enough space and equipment to run a sustainable business.
Careful consideration will also be given in regard to how the cafe presents aesthetically.
A budget of $150,000 will be sought for approval by council to progress construction of the cafe so the operation can start in August 2019.
