Tomi Lounge evicted
OWNER SAYS GREEN SPINE WORKS TO BLAME
A CENTRAL Geelong restaurant and cafe has been forced to close after taking a huge financial hit during works on the Green Spine project.
Tomi Lounge’s owners have been served an eviction notice by landlord Market Square and will exit their Malop St base on Friday.
After suffering a collapse of trade during the four-month public works program, owner Caron Missen said the business fell behind in its rent and is now being forced out.
“It hit to 90 per cent,” Ms Missen said of the severe downturn.
“Some days it just wasn’t worth us turning up. The result is what’s happening now.”
The first stage of the $8 million Green Spine initiative was completed in November, with the council holding an official celebration last Monday.
The works have delivered an 8m-wide “botanic walk” — with extra plantings, outdoor dining and seating — on the south side of Malop St between Moorabool and Yarra streets.
To deliver the works road and parking access was limited and barricades were installed on the footpath, deterring pedestrians from using the strip.
The wait was not worth it, Ms Missen said.
She had seen little bounce since the road fully reopened, and doesn’t think the aesthetic improvements will bring more people to the area.
“We were strong before it started,” she said yesterday.
“If what happened this year didn’t happen, we would be fine. We’d be still going strong.”
After spending $1.7 million to upgrade the former surf shop into a cosy and comfortable venue in 2015, Ms Missen has no immediate plans to reenter the hospitality industry.
“We are not sure yet (what we’ll do). We’re just working out how to survive after this.”
Construction will begin on Malop St’s northern side at the start of February. It is expected to be completed by June.