Locals lock in Rec Centre, Old Settlement leases

The Shire of Augusta Margaret River has announced the successful applicants who have secured leases for cafes at the Margaret River Recreation Centre and Old Settlement precinct.

The Recreation Centre’s new stand-alone café facility is located at the entrance of the building and was created during the recently completed refurbishment.

Following an Expressions of Interest (EOI) process, Freddy Reidy and Holly Romaior will become the inaugural operators of the café.

Freddy and Holly are the team behind popular Cowaramup coffee business and drive through outlet, Red Feather.

The pair said they were looking forward to opening the new café.

“We can’t wait to create a unique destination for Rec Centre users, and somewhere for the whole community to come together and have a yarn, whether they are on their lunch break or looking for a bite to eat for dinner,” they said.

“Without giving too much away, we can say there’ll be hot chips, by popular demand, as well as coffee, teas, smoothies, cakes and a bit of a street food vibe.”

“As a mum, I know the feeling of scrambling for dinner after late night kids sport, so we can’t wait to provide an easy, yummy alternative,” Holly said.

Recreation Centre Manager Dylan Brown said he was excited to have the Red Feather team on board.

“We’re so proud of the improvements we’ve made to the Rec Centre and the café is the last piece of the puzzle,” he said.

“Health and fitness is so much more than just fitness – it’s about social connection, and the café is going to give our members, and non-members, another chance to connect, while also supporting local business.”

The Shire said it would be investing $100,000 in fixtures for the café which would become part of the building – and therefore Shire property – recouped via rental income.

“We’ll be working alongside the lessees to ensure the configuration of the café fit out suits their needs and have negotiated rent accordingly,” Dylan said.

In addition to the Recreation Centre Café, the Shire also confirmed that the lease of the Old Settlement Café was awarded to Paul Illes of the Hairy Marron Café.

“For the past 10 years, the Hairy Marron café and bike shop has been a popular spot for our community and tourists to socialise, enjoy locally roasted coffee and food, and hire bikes to explore the nearby trails,” a Shire spokesperson said.