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How ANZ West End’s Closure Impacts More Local Stores

The West End branch of ANZ will permanently close by April 2021, along with 18 other branches across Australia. This will be the third bank to shut its branch operations on Boundary Street amidst the pandemic, after Suncorp and Westpac’s closure in late 2020.

An estimated 105 ANZ workers will be out of a job when the branches close but the company said the decision was made because only 12 percent of its clients visited the branches in the last year. According to the bank executives, foot traffic has been down as customers are choosing digital banking, deemed more convenient and secure in this new normal.

But Finance Sector Union (FSU) Queensland Secretary Wendy Street said branch banking is considered an essential service and branch staff members are also essential workers like healthcare frontline workers.

Ms Street said that foot traffic was down because of the health crisis and not because the customers had a choice. The union leader added that the closure of ANZ will further impact businesses on Boundary Street as people usually do their shopping or dining whenever they stop at the bank. Customers are likely to patronise shops in places where they do their banking.

Meanwhile, it’s unclear how many workers will be affected by the closure of ANZ West End. A spokesperson said the bank redeployed many of its experienced staff during the round of closures in 2020. Retrenchment payments were also increased last year because of the pandemic but ANZ has not indicated if it will do the same this year.

ANZ West End is the lone Queensland branch to close from this batch, whilst the other branches are in NSW and Victoria.

Popular Brisbane Ice Cream Festival Returns to West End!

The Brisbane Ice Cream Festival has finally returned to West End after a hiatus in 2020, and with the festival comes the gathering of a vast assortment of soft serves, gelato, popsicles and other cool desserts!

From April 17-18, you’ll be able to treat your taste buds to some unconventional-yet-delectable serves and scoops from some of the best ice cream vendors in West Village.

And the best part? The tickets are FREE! With the event running the entire weekend, interested participants can register for any of three two-hour session slots per day. On both days, slots begin at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m. This year, there’ll be an additional 5:00 p.m. time slot on Saturday.

A Little Something For Everyone

Are dietary restrictions getting in the way of a good time? Don’t worry. The Brisbane Ice Cream Festival’s got you covered. There will be dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan options available to any and all who attend the festival on either day; and because tickets are free, you’ll have a little more cash to treat yourself with.

Children under the age of two will also be able to enter the festival, no ticket required, so be sure to bring the entire family!

*Photo credit: Brisbane Ice Cream Festival/Facebook*

Hurry, Limited Registration Means Limited Slots!

Though festival tickets don’t cost any money, registration is still mandatory due to the COVID-19 crowd measures put in place by the Queensland Government. As a result, the number of entries is limited.

If you were too late to nab a ticket, then fear not! You could always make a post on the Brisbane Ice Cream Festival’s Facebook event page, where those who do have tickets but can no longer make it, can offer you theirs.

Details

Venue: 97 Boundary Street, West End QLD 4101

Dates: Saturday, April 17, 2021, to Sunday, April 18, 2021

Saturday Session Times: 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m.

Sunday Session Times: 11:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m.

Acclaimed Architect Kengo Kuma to Design His First Brisbane Residential Project in West End

Property developer Crown Group has picked Kengo Kuma, a world-renowned architect, for its latest residential project in West End and he will design his very first residential urban resort in Brisbane, which will be unveiled in 2021.

Kengo Kuma & Associates will also collaborate with Plus Architecture for this $500 million development that will elevate the aesthetic and lifestyle of the burgeoning suburb.

The site is on 117 Victoria Street, a 1.25-hectare premier waterfront. It’s deemed as Mr Kuma’s largest residential design, which will feature a mix of terrace homes, apartments and penthouses and take advantage of the breathtaking views of the Brisbane River and the city’s skyline.

The residential facility will also include heaps of recreational areas such as a pool and poolside barbecue, communal room, a gym and spacious gardens.

Mr Kuma is most noted for designing the Bamboo Wall House in China, the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy Group’s Japan headquarters, Tokyo’s Suntory Museum of Art and Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium for the 2021 global event. He is known for his expert incorporaton of natural elements in his contemporary urban designs.

The Japanese architect praised Brisbane as a “very beautiful city with rich culture and natural heritage” and he plans to come up with a design that will embrace the locals’ strong connection with nature.

He said that a large part of this residential project will provide a space for residents to relish “the views, sounds, and atmosphere of this beautiful river.”

Crown Group‘s director Trent McLauchlan targets the submission of the development application by mid-2021, saying this will be “a new benchmark for residential living” in Brisbane.

Pastry Lovers Rave About the ‘Best Strawberry Croissant’ from Superthing

Where can one get the best strawberry croissant in West End? Your best bet could be the croissanterie/cafe on Montague Road, named Superthing, which started business in the midst of a lockdown in early 2020.

If you scroll through Superthing’s social media pages, you’re bound to see dozens of appetizing photos of their strawberry croissant, as shared by their customers. But whilst this pastry could be the store’s bestseller, the cafe has since updated and changed its menu since it began trading.

Eddy Tice and Ania Kutek, who have enticed Brisbane with their other shop, NYC Bagel Deli on Vulture Street, are also the pair behind this pink-themed cafe.

Superthing bakes fresh, buttery and flaky croissants and other pastries every day inside a temperature-controlled room that’s visible to the customers behind a quirky rainbow-hued glass. Ania leads the kitchen with head baker Jorja Kena.

The owners, naturally, had some concerns at the beginning of the operation due to the lockdown. Thankfully, their pastries and baked goods are perfect for takeaways, along with some buns and bagels, allowing them to continue trading until Brisbane was ready to open for dine-in customers.

So, whilst their baked treats and sandwiches are perfect for snacking, Superthing also offers a satisfying selection of breakfast and lunch with choices like pulled pork burger, chili chorizo frittatas and the Big Breakfast plate (eggs, bacon, sausage, hash cake, greens, cherry tomatoes and toasted sourdough).

Follow Superthing on Facebook for their trading hours or menu changes or to see what other tasty food you can get from the shop.

“Nice coffee and food. Had forest mushroom croissant (special), really enjoyed it. Will come back for more pastries too. Also like the shop inside, it’s a great idea to showcase how the bakers make croissants.”
Evelyn Xu, Google Reviews

“Some of the yummiest pastries and bagels around Brisbane (if not THE yummiest). They change them up a bit as well so there is always something tempting and delicious to try. Their brisket cheeseburger is mouth-watering too. And great coffee! Yummo!!”
Marina, Google Reviews

“Second visit in 4 days. I love almond croissants and these are easily the best. Took some “take-a-ways”, hope they make it home unlike some people I know eat them soon as back in the car. This place is good, seriously good.”
Col Williamson, Facebook

FryDays Bar & Kitchen Moves Into the Old Hi-Fi Bar’s Site in West End

A new late-night Korean fried chicken diner and bar has moved into the old Hi-Fi site on Boundary Street in West End. As its name suggests, FryDays specialises in everything deep-fried — from its specialty chicken wings to the prawns, pork or vegetable dumplings, and cheesy sticks.

FryDays has nine variants of its crispy, drool-worthy fried chicken dripping with flavourful sauces like barbecue, honey, teriyaki, soy or hot chili. Every order of chicken wings has been concocted to complement its vast selection of Korean, Japanese, Chinese and local brews, as well as choices of cocktail drinks and wine.

The eatery is owned and managed by Sean Hyun and Chef Jo of Tok Tok Korean Cuisine in Sunnybank Hills. With a pretty straightforward menu, picking meals at FryDays is effortless when all you can think about is savouring and enjoying the flavours.

Mr Hyun said that the restaurant’s focus will be the chicken but FryDays will also serve seafood pancakes, stir-fried noodles, wraps and noodle soup.

The new restaurant opened on 18 Dec 2020 with 150 seats, mostly set outdoors and best for people-watching! Inside, the dining space has a polished look with grey walls and timber. The bar is the centerpiece, where guests place their orders.

Follow FryDays on Facebook for the opening hours and the best fried chicken deals.

Coles West End at The Markets Unveils New Look, New Pet Treat Bar

Here’s something to excite fur parents like a dog with two tails! Coles West End at the heritage-listed site, The Markets, will unveil its new look with some never-before-seen features for Brisbane shoppers.

On Wednesday, 2 Dec 2020, Coles West End will open one of the first in Brisbane — a pick-and-mix self-serve pet treat bar for pet owners and their lovable four-legged friends.

This new Coles feature provides a wide range of healthy pet food and snacks, tailored for shoppers who spoil their pets or treat like family.

Since the start of the pandemic, Coles’ customers have increased their spending on their dogs, cats and other pets. Pet adoption and fostering have also spiked to 50 percent, according to the Queensland RSCPA and Animal Welfare League Queensland.

Photo Credit: Healthy Food Crew/Facebook

Meanwhile, Coles West End is also unveiling the new “store of the future” with the Coles Kitchen section filled with ready-made, quick and easy meals in Australian, Italian, Asian and Indian varieties.

The grocery store’s new open-style bakery will offer flatbread baked fresh every day, whilst the market-style produce section’s layout will provide more room for shoppers to browse and pick their fruits and vegetables.

“The feedback from our customers has been wildly positive, with many of our locals particularly excited about the new convenience range of meals and the pet treat pick-and-mix bar where they can pick up a wide range of treats and snacks for their furry friends,” Coles West End store manager Tristian Maris said.

“We’re also thrilled to inject more jobs into the local area by welcoming 20 new team members to the store, including in-store bakers and online service team members who are excited to join our team in offering excellent service and great value products for the community.”

To celebrate the unveiling of Coles West End’s new look, shoppers and workers alike may witness the ribbon-cutting ceremony, speeches and cake at 7:00 a.m. Wednesday.

Dornoch Terrace in West End: Among Risky Brisbane CBD Roads for Cyclists

Photo Credit: Google Map

Up to two thirds of Brisbane CBD roads, including Dornoch Terrace, are identified to be risky for cyclists, RACQ says.

The latest research has revealed that 22 popular cycling routes in the Brisbane CBD and surrounding suburbs lack safe cycling structures. The Club’s Head of Public Policy Rebecca Michael said that they found that there is a lot of room for improvement around South Brisbane and Kangaroo Point.

In particular, she noted some of the busiest roads for bikes and cars including Montague Road, Vulture Street, Shafston Avenue and Main Street as among the worst for cyclists. Likewise, she added that Adelaide Street, Edward Street and Ann Street in the CBD, as well as the nearby Dornoch Terrace, “are also some of the riskiest.”

Dornoch Terrace recorded 16 crashes involving cyclists between 2014 and 2018 whilst Adelaide Street had 18, including six serious injuries. Often, these crashes are more severe and more likely to cause serious injuries and even death.

The Club, therefore, calls on Brisbane City Council to “implement improved on and off-road cycling infrastructure and treatments” which could mitigate risks and lower speeds at conflict points. The research predicted that the installation of separated cycle lanes and other safety improvements on all surveyed roads could save 182 fatal and serious injuries over the next 20 years.

“Cyclists are some of our most vulnerable road users and having safe infrastructure is the right start but ultimately we need everyone to play their part to ensure we all get to our destinations safely,” Dr Michael said.

Councillor Ryan Murphy, Brisbane City Council public and Active Transport Committee chair, said that whilst the Dornoch Terrace safety improvements project did not get needed support from the community, he would be happy to revisit the plan.

Cr Murphy added that the CityLink Cycleway will have new separated two-way bikeways along Edward Street and Elizabeth Street. Works on Elizabeth Street and Edward Street are expected to begin late November 2020 and should be completed in early 2021. Meanwhile, construction of new green bridges for cyclists and pedestrians at Kangaroo Point and Breakfast Creek are also expected to commence in 2021.

Crown Group To Launch First West End Development Project in 2021

Photo credit: Google Maps

Australian property developer, Crown Group, has opened a new office in Brisbane ahead of the group’s 2021 launch of their first West End development.

Crown Group announces its first project in Queensland

Crown Group said that the future West End development on 1.25ha of prime waterfront land situated at 117 Victoria Street will feature luxury apartments with a mix of terraces homes through to four-bedroom penthouses. Many of these apartments will offer river and city skyline views

Crown Group’ will also incorporate its signature resort-style facilities including a 25m pool, cabana and poolside lounges, barbecue facilities, gym, community room and breakout spaces.

Why did Crown Group choose Brisbane?

Development Director Trent McLauchlan, who came to Crown Group earlier this year, said that Brisbane is already set to reap the benefits of its major infrastructure and tourism projects including the $2 billion Queens Wharf development, Howard Smith Wharves, Cross River Rail, and Brisbane Airport’s new runway.

“Brisbane was set for a surge in property activity in early 2020 and since then housing data has shown the city is set to have the strongest recovery in Australia from COVID’s impact,” Mr McLauchlan said.

He furthered that based on indicators, Brisbane is set to return to a state of housing undersupply that will result in apartment prices pushing up. When conditions start to normalise, he expects demand to rise as interstate buyers start to come back and take advantage of the low interest rates, and as foreign buyers also take advantage of the strong exchange rate.

He said West End was chosen after much due diligence because it is one of Brisbane’s fastest growing suburbs with the population expected to grow more than four per cent each year.

“Its accessibility to the city as well as to cultural attractions including Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art and the Boundary Street spine as well as recreational drawcards such as Southbank and the river promenade make it highly appealing in terms of liveability.”

“All indicators point to growth ahead in West End and we expect that this luxurious riverfront sub-tropical escape will sell fast.”

Coles West End Secures Junction Park State School’s Cooking Program Membership

The children of Junction Park State School may continue to learn how to cook healthier meals thanks to the donation from Coles West End. The company gave the school $5,000 to support its membership with the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden cooking program for the next three years.

The money will also afford the school to buy a new pizza oven and several kitchen items, cookware and appliances.

Junction Park State School has been in the program for five years but the grant from Coles West End will go a long way. Supporting Year 2 and 3 kids, the program, incorporated in the school’s science classes, teaches children how to prepare and appreciate nutritious dishes.

“We are really excited about the donation from Coles and the long-lasting effect it will have on the development and longevity of our popular Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program,” the school principal Ms Christine Wood said.

Coles West End Store Manager, Tristan Maris, said that they learned about how Junction Park State School created a kitchen garden program as part of the kids’ learning process.

“The kids are really keen to get their hands dirty and experiment with cooking and eating new things, which is something we hope is reflected in their families’ weekly grocery shop when visiting the store,” Mr Maris said. “We believe helping to sustainably feed all Australians, so they can live healthier and happier lives, is a fundamental part of why we do what we do at Coles, and it is exciting to see that in action.”

Coles launched its partnership with the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden cooking program in February 2020 with the aim of making eating healthy second nature to children.

Voglia at Montague Markets Makes Your Italian Food Wishes Come True

Wishing for more Italian food options? Voglia, a new restaurant specialising in southern comfort food and hand-stretched pizza, is set to open at the Montague Markets and it promises to fill your desire for delicious, authentic Italian dishes.

Voglia, which is Italian for desire or wish, is a concept from Vito and Bradie Mandarano. The partners also run Vito’s Cucina & Bar in Ascot.

Inspired by their relaxing weekends at beautiful restaurants in the Amalfi Coast, the pair is hoping to recreate and deliver that same flavour and feel at their new West End eatery.

Aiming for a full dining experience in a laidback atmosphere, Voglia plans to back old-fashioned hospitality. Once opened, the new Italian foodie spot will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner indoors or via its grab-and-go window.

The husband and wife team thought of incorporating heaps of food choices to suit all tastes — from counter takeaways to gourmet meals enjoyed at the table, to a full-a-la-carte fare for a memorable evening feast.

Vito will be serving his favourite Spaghetti ala Nerano on the menu, which perfectly defines life in the Sorrentine peninsula. The spaghetti is simple yet sophisticated and tasteful. It’s flavoured with onions, chilli, garlic, zucchini, tomatoes, pancetta pangrattato, calamiri fritti and white wine.

But gourmet pizza will be the biggest pull as Voglia has a pizzaiolo from Naples working the magic in the kitchen.

The Mandaranos plan to launch by the end of the month. Follow their Facebook page for updates and trading hours.