East End restaurants busier than ever with outdoor dining and road closures

East End restaurants have been busier than ever during the Fringe as weekend road closures and increased outdoor seating have encouraged diners to be part of the festival atmosphere.

David Hurford from Eros Kafe says patrons had been “fighting” for the tables outside. Picture: AAP/Emma Brasier

East End restaurants have been busier than ever during the Fringe as weekend street closures and increased outdoor seating drew diners into the festival atmosphere.

Rundle St has been closed between East Tce and Frome Rd for Fridays, Saturdays and two Sundays over the Fringe, allowing extra tables and chairs to be set up on the road.

Traders were given more notice of the closures than last year and liquor licensing was changed to allow extra capacity for the businesses involved.

“Our traders and others in the area say it is the best thing that has ever happened,” said Steve Maras, chief executive of the Maras Group, which owns more than 20 hospitality properties in the East End. “I’ve been getting comments like it is a world class atmosphere and that you could be sitting anywhere in the world.”

Eros Kafe manager David Hurford said patrons had been “like rabid dogs fighting over the tables outside”. “Business has been really good for us,” he said.

Restaurant and Catering Industry Association deputy chief executive Sally Neville said trade spiked in the city but restaurants in the suburbs had seen a downturn during the festival period.

Big crowds flock to new RCC

Roving patrons at the RCC Fringe, Adelaide University. Picture: Tony Kearney

THE revamped RCC Fringe at the University of Adelaide has attracted almost 100,000 more people this year than in 2018.

The revamped Fringe hub, formerly known as the Royal Croquet Club, is expected to record an attendance figure of more than 220,000 for this year’s festival.

Last year’s RCC at Pinky Flat drew 125,000 patrons during the month-long festival.

Curated by former Adelaide Festival artistic director David Sefton, the RCC’s expanded music and arts program is on track to sell 82,500 tickets, which is understood to be a record for the Fringe venue.

Creative director Stuart Duckworth said he “couldn’t be happier” with the result.

“We’re rapt with the new location,” he said.

“We feel the connectivity through the campus from the East End to the river has been an amazing success in breathing life into the campus and showcasing it to an astounding amount of people.”

The Adelaide Fringe has sold a record-breaking 825,000 tickets this year – a 17 per cent increase on last year – while the Adelaide Festival has already announced its biggest box-office takings in its 59-year history.