Striking it rich in top locations

RIGHT place, right time.

That’s what Harajuku Gyoza manager Jun Sugimoto attributed to the Asian restaurant’s 65 per cent increase in business during the Commonwealth Games.

Located on the Victoria Avenue side of Oasis Shopping Centre, Harajuku Gyoza served 10,000 customers between April 4-15, a huge increase on the 3500 during the same period in March.

It also sold 50,000 dumplings compared to last month’s 15,000; went through 200kg of karaage chicken compared to last month’s 70kg; and 60 kegs of Yoyogi Japanese Craft Beer were consumed, compared to the previous month’s 22 kegs.

“We were down the two weeks before the Games then from the first Thursday everything really kicked off,” Mr Sugimoto said.

“We were lucky. I don’t think we did something better than anyone else.

“We were in the right spot. If we were around the corner we would have been dead.”

Simon King, partner at Swannie’s Southport, also attributed his Nerang Street location, smack bang in the middle of the tram stop and swimming arena, to its record fortnight.

“We smashed daily revenue, smashed weekly and that comes down to simple fact that we had over 10,000 people walking past our venue each day when the swimming was on, then the diving which had 2000 seats,” Mr King said.

Prominent restaurateur Patrik Gennari, owner of Broadbeach venues Loose Moose, Koi and Roosevelt Lounge, said while he didn’t have a dip or spike in trade, the Commonwealth Games served a much larger purpose.

“This is a long-term thing,” he said. “It’s put the Gold Coast on the map and I think we’ll be feeling the positives for a long time to come.”