Rooftop bar adds to Surfers revamp
THE former site of one of the Gold Coast’s most famous nightspots will be reimagined as a Mediterranean-style rooftop bar overlooking Cavill Avenue.
Hospitality veteran Michael Hope, who created the Hunter Valley’s Hope Estate, is leading the multimilliondollar fit-out of the new building on the corner of Orchid and Cavill avenues.
Standing on the former site of The Penthouse and The Avenue, Sofi will feature cuisine inspired by the Amalfi Coast.
Mr Hope said the idea for the venue came through a conversation with a friend during the Covid lockdowns of 2020 and 2021.
“We were talking about how we were going to come out of Covid while a lot of places were closed down and we thought, let’s go where the people are and so we ended up in Surfers Paradise,” he said.
“This is a magical site and we want to justice to what I consider an iconic location.
“Surfers Paradise is an exciting place and we want to be a part of it.
“People feed off that excitement and when you think about it, why should the most exciting experiences only be in New York, Italy or even in Sydney.”
The fit-out of the venue has begun and it is expected to open its doors to customers by June.
Michelin star-winning chefs with experience cooking through Asia and across Australia have been hired to work at Sofi, which will have dishes such as caviar, pasturefed steak tartare, Tuscan bread salad and peach napoleon.
Much of the beef will be supplied from Hope Estate’s own farms in central NSW.
Surfers Paradise’s central district has been undergoing a major revamp in the past two years with multiple new venues reshaping the area.
The Paradise Centre’s $30m revamp of its beach end into a restaurant precinct opened in mid-2022 followed soon after by the Coast eatery in the Meriton Ocean tower.
Signature Hospitality Group announced last week it would spend $6.5m to transform the former Hard Rock Cafe site into a hi-tech sports bar and brewery.
The Gold Coast City Council has also committed more than $40m to revamping Cavill Ave.
Mr Hope said it was for hospitality operators to offer new and exciting experiences in an increasingly competitive market.
“Food and beverage has changed and it is not just about beer barns anymore because people want experiences,” he said.
“It’s no use going in with something everyone else has because you need to have the wow factor and make it memorable.
“Memories are what people live on and when you get to late in life, you remember the places you had great experiences.
“You either can give people what they want or wither on the vine and die.”