Cafe reaps rewards of urban revamp
A LENAH Valley cafe owner says an upgrade to the suburb’s streetscape has had great benefits for him and other nearby businesses.
An investment in the suburb’s main street Augusta Rd was completed in 2019, with widened footpaths, street art, deciduous trees and street furniture.
Danny Veis, the owner of Whisk & Co, said he agreed with urban planner Steven Burgess’s views the same type of approach should be considered for more places across Greater Hobart.
Mr Veis said the upgrade more than doubled his available outdoor seating from 10 to 24, and said revenue had increased by between 10-15 per cent since it was finished.
“It’s just beautified the whole street, and everybody is benefiting out of it,” he said.
Mr Veis said even while the upgrade was happening, Whisk & Co did not lose business, and only relinquished one parking space.
“Parking is not the be-all and end-all but people need an option,” he said.
“At the moment they need to reinvigorate different areas.
“But we need to be very mindful of the types of businesses in the particular area. It’s not a one-size-fitsall.”
Mr Veis said the business was able to operate throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and he thanked the community for its support.
He said some customers had done “beautiful things” like buying gift certificates for later use worth hundreds of dollars during the coronavirus slowdown to give the business a boost.
“I believe this isn’t brain surgery. If you do good food, good coffee and just be nice to people, people will come and support you,” Mr Veis said.