Troubled hub gets new shot
A two-storey restaurant and cafe is moving into the vacant space haunted by a convicted child sex offender, but the owners say they are ready to change the retail hub’s image.
Burleigh Heads’ Tarte Bakery and Cafe announced it had secured the waterfront venue, which overlooks Currumbin Creek by the bridge.
Saltwater Currumbin closed in May at the location after 15 months of trading, amid claims of locals “boycotting” the area making it “hard to survive”.
The claims were centred around convicted child sex offender Dennis Walden, who had been seen around the area in previous months.
The Dennis Walden Family Trust owns properties and acts as landlord for a small business cluster at 2-4 Thrower Drive in
Currumbin, where Tarte Bakery and Cafe will be opening.
The Dennis Walden Family Trust is named after Dennis Gary Walden, who was convicted in 2009 of maintaining an unlawful sexual relationship with a child aged under 16 and sentenced to six years’ jail.
Walden is no longer involved in the trust, now run by his ex-wife Dongyan Lily Walden, but residents of the area claimed he was still regularly seen at the premises, which he denied.
Tarte Bakery owner Chloe Lang said she could “unequivocally affirm he had no involvement” with their business and continuing trade.
Ms Lang said it had been a dream of hers for more than a decade to open Tarte Bakery and Cafe at the “picturesque” location. “It’s always been a top priority on my bucket list to es
tablish something unique here,” she said.
“With our successful hub in Burleigh, it’s now time to broaden our horizons and create something truly extraordinary by the water.”
She said upstairs would be a restaurant with a lunch menu, cocktails and drinks and downstairs would be the cafe.
“Downstairs will be a chilled cafe that you can come straight out of the water to get take
away from,” Ms Lang said. “The upstairs venue will still very much embody Tarte’s style. It will carry a more coastal vibe (than the Burleigh Heads venue). Think Hamptons meets Paris.”
Ms Lang said she had been “humbled” by the support the business had received from locals following the announcement. “We’re thrilled to extend our services to the wonderful community in Currumbin and
its surroundings,” she said. . Gold Coast residents, includ- ing Instagram content creator r Ellie Watson, said the announcement was “the best news”. Another commenter said: “I am so excited your beautiful cafe will be gracing the shores of Currumbin. You guys will do so well.” Ms Lang said they had introduced a coffee cart at the location until they finished renovations on the main venue.