Investing in the Restaurant/Cafe sector

Investing in the Restaurant/Cafe sector

1.  What Lismore needs

Lismore’s steady population growth offers plentiful opportunities in the restaurant/cafe industry.

Regional overview:

• Population 262,000
• Average age 39 years
• Population is expected to grow to 319,000 in the next 8 years

Urban opportunities – Lismore’s cafe culture thrives during the week. However, in the CBD there are few outlets that cater for the business market in the early evening and on weekends. There is an unmet demand particularly for up-market restaurants and cafes that are open on the weekends. There is also a steady demand for ’somewhere to eat along the river’, together with an outlet offering a wide selection of quality wines in a wine bar setting.

Hinterland opportunities – daytime restaurants/cafes in a rural setting targeted at the leisure market are in demand that combine a rural experience with regional cuisine.

To see detailed visitor trends in Lismore Council Area, click here.

2.  Restaurant Sector Overview

Over the past ten years the restaurant scene in Lismore has been changing as sea and tree changers are attracted to the beauty and lifestyle of the region. Lismore is a university town and its cultural scene is a mix of traditional, innovative and alternative arts.

Being the regional business centre with approximately 70,000 car movements per week makes for a bustling lunch time trade in Lismore CBD.  The majority of cafes and restaurants are in the inner city area, servicing shoppers and workers and visitors who commute daily from throughout the region.

There is a growing trend for people to dine out and the growth of the health services sector and the University has attracted savvy professionals with eclectic tastes.  This provides opportunities for food loving entrepreneurs.

What’s on the menu? – The Lismore and Villages Dining Guide gives a comprehensive overview of restaurants and cafes operating in the Lismore Council Area.

Lismore and its villages have over one hundred food outlets – from formal restaurants, pubs and clubs, to casual cafes and take-away outlets.

Table 1: Lismore & villages eateries and entertainment venues

A range of food styles are represented in the Lismore CBD: from Gourmet French, through to Italian Pizzeria.

Source: Lismore City Council, 2008

Table 2: Types of eateries and food styles in Lismore CBD

Source: Lismore City Council, 2008

Table 3: Opening times of Lismore CBD eateries

Most eateries are open for lunch Monday to Friday, servicing the busy lunch time market. While weekdays are relatively well catered for, there are considerably less cafes and restaurants open on the weekends, particularly on Sunday.

Source: Lismore City Council, 2008

Table 4: Opening times of eateries in Nimbin and villages – Lismore Council Area

Eateries in Lismore’s villages service the weekday and weekend diner, typically located on the main street. There is evidence of unmet demand servicing visitors, tourists and locals on the weekend, away from the bustling street-scape, in a rural setting.

Source: Lismore City Council, 2008

3.  Labour Force

There were 1,177 people employed in the accommodation and food services industry in 2006 representing 6% of the total workforce in Lismore Council Area.

Being a university city, Lismore’s eateries have access to a ready supply of casual staff and hospitality students keen to gain experience in the industry.

4.  Hospitality Industry Training

Being the centre for education, Lismore is well placed to offer training and development in all areas of the hospitality industry.

Southern Cross University has degree courses in all facets of restaurant and hotel management. TAFE has 100 apprentice chefs training at any one time with approximately 30 graduating each year and a number of Registered Training Organisations in Lismore offer a smorgasbord of courses.

There are three major training groups offering courses for the hospitality industry in Lismore. (SeeLink 1c)

Southern Cross offers seven undergraduate degrees in their tourism and hospitality section including:

• Bachelor of Business in Tourism Management
• Bachelor of Business in Hotel and Resort Management
• Bachelor of Business in Hotel Management

See available courses here.

The Lismore Campus of the North Coast Institute of TAFE offers numerous courses relating to food and beverage management.

Adult Community Education North Coast offers a range of cooking, leisure and service courses.

5.  Special regulations relating to the food industry

Lismore City Council has a strong commitment to ensure the production and supply of safe food to all consumers in the community. Compliance with National Food Safety Standards assists food businesses in early identification of potential risks and application of best practices for food safety.

Lismore City Council employs staff who specialise in environmental health activities and carry out inspections of food business from an educational and regulatory perspective.

Information relating to food premises can be found on Lismore City Council’s website.

This will give you information on the following:

• Food Premises Registration (cafe, takeaway, etc.)
• Construction and Fit-out of Food Premises
• Food Safety Standards
• Mobile Food Vehicles
• Market Stalls
• Food Stalls Special Events
• Bed and Breakfast Establishments
• Home Catering
• Charities and Community Organisations

Location options: All establishments selling food are classed as ‘Refreshment rooms’ under Council’s LEP. Refreshment rooms are permissible in almost all zones, but there may be specific restrictions applicable.

Eateries can be situated in almost any zone dependent on the proposal, eg. fast food outlets are usually located in high trafficked locations, but a good restaurant may want to be tucked away in a very quiet, ambient rural setting.

A food outlet would not be suitably located within a residential precinct for obvious reasons, but there may be certain exceptions where this could be considered.