New $10m Cairns precinct set to rival Eat Street in Brisbane
A NEW outdoor ‘food village’ at DFO Cairns which will bring restaurants and food vendors together for a North Queensland version of Eat Street has been completed following a major revamp of the shopping centre on behalf of owners Sentinel Property Group.
The $10 million DFOOD food and entertainment precinct at the Mulgrave Rd, Westcourt, retail complex has been constructed by Hutchinson Builders and includes a children’s playground area, green space, a large outdoor LED movie screen, an array of cafes and restaurants as well as upgrades to entrances and facilities with 1250 carparking spaces.
There has been strong interest from retailers in the new precinct with an Italian restaurant offering traditional pizzas, a gourmet burger bar, a sushi bar and an ice creamery to be part of the DFOOD village, which will offer Cairns a food bazaar similar to Brisbane’s Eat Street with a wide range of vendors serving up a feast of delicious dishes.
Sentinel Property Group managing director Warren Ebert said the DFOOD precinct would create a fantastic, easily accessible, family-style amenity for the wider Cairns community.
“We want this to be a familyfriendly space for locals,” he said.
“DFOOD will be a food village where people can not only indulge in great food but also enjoy watching big games or events on the outdoor screen.”
Mr Ebert said the DFOOD precinct would also include space for food trucks and a market area that will operate on a casual leasing ‘pop-up’ basis.
“This will be an opportunity for local community organisations, TAFE colleges, sporting groups and other charitable organisations to showcase their ideas and make great food offerings to raise money,” Mr Ebert said.
“We’re providing the infrastructure such as the marquee, power, hot plate barbecue and refrigeration to make this possible.”
He said Sentinel Property Group was looking to build on the success achieved at DFO Cairns over the past 18 months, with several prominent retailers opening including Oakley, Escape 2 Outdoor & Travel, Catalog Clothing, Edge Clothing, Kaisercraft, Coral Legend and Travelite.