The collateral damage to make way for the new David Jones ‘’super store’’ continues with His Boy Elroy told to vacate their Globe Lane premises by the end of January.
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The owners of the popular Wollongong eatery have though put a positive spin on the move.
‘’Globe Lane has been an amazing first home for His Boy Elroy, but we are extremely excited about the new opportunities we have to evolve and expand,’’ co-owner Ben Hudson said.
He said 2017 will be His Boy's ‘’best year yet’’.
The brand new fit out in their new, yet-to-be revealed Wollongong home will showcase a seven-metre long cocktail bar with more craft beer taps on offer.
‘’We are high-fiving and fist pumping and ready to launch in Feb 2017,’’ Hudson said.
Fairfax Media understands their current Globe Lane premises will make way for a thoroughfare, allowing shoppers to walk through to the new David Jones and the Gateway arm of the Wollongong Central shopping precinct.
Wollongong Central regional general manager Antony Keenan said a small coffee shop will also go in the space His Boy Elroy vacates.
‘’It will be an entrance to the reconfigured Gateway arm [shopping centre] plus a small cafe,’’ he said.
Mr Keenan said discussions were ongoing to relocate His Boy Elroy to the restaurant precinct in Keira Street.
The vacant site next to Coco Cubano is one of the sites being looked at by both sides.
‘’Nothing has been confirmed yet but we think His Boy Elroy is a great compliment to the Wollongong community and ideally we’d like to keep them here,’’ Mr Keenan said.
The eatery and small bar will stay in Wollongong but not in Globe Lane, which has been marketed heavily in recent years as the city has tried to tap into its thriving small bar and cafe culture.
The recent ‘Discover the City’ television commercials focus heavily on His Boy Elroy and the nearby Hungarian cake shop, Kurtosh.
Globe Lane most nights of the week in recent times has been a buzzing enclave where The Little Prince patrons sip on whiskey sours, burgers and tacos are served up at His Boy Elroy and Beach Burrito,and dessert-loving night-owls cram into Kurtosh.
But Beach Burrito has already left and come next February His Boy Elroy will follow suit and no longer call the dog-legged lane connecting Burelli Street, Church Street and Crown Street Mall, home.
Mr Keenan said Skinnys – a low-carb cafe, bar and grill dining concept – are taking over the space Beach Burrito vacated.
‘’It is still business as usual at Globe Lane,’’ he said. ‘’We are replacing Beach Burrito with another usuage that is complimentary to Globe Lane.’’
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