Port Noarlunga ‘the new place to be’

MORE people are migrating to the beachside suburb of Port Noarlunga for shopping, snacks and surf, which is being put down to an influx of hip cafes, bars and events.

The Coffee Factory owner Danielle Wigzell at the cafe's parklet. Picture: AAP/Keryn Stevens

MORE people are migrating to the beachside suburb of Port Noarlunga for shopping, snacks and surf.

Community groups and traders put the influx down to hip cafes, bars and events setting up in the area.

Port Noarlunga Business & Tourism Association chairwoman Jeanette Howell calls it all the “hidden secret of South Australia”.

“We are getting a lot more people turning up here,” Ms Howell, of Port Noarlunga, says.

“I think the cafes and restaurants are putting on good food and service … and there is entertainment at night like comedy nights, theatre and bands playing.

“It’s the new place to be.”

The suburb’s population was 2918 at the 2016 Census, up from 2632 in 2011.

The number of families living in the area grew from 681 to 737 over the same period.

Port Noarlunga Business & Tourism Association chairwoman Jeanette Howell on the esplanade. Picture: AAP/Matt Loxton

And a member of the local dentist’s surgery team is doing her bit for the suburb-wide smile.

Amy Graham, of Beachside Dental Studio on Gawler St, has helped organise the community wine and food event Porties Pop-Up, operating weekly in the summer months over the past two years.

“We’ve had people coming from all over the place – we didn’t expect that ” Ms Graham says.

“We just wanted to do something for locals, but it turned out that we attracted lots of people.

“People have this passion about local produce, people and businesses and giving back to the community.”

Amy and Paul Graham have helped organise the community wine and food event Porties Pop-Up. Source: File

Onkaparinga Council has identified Port Noarlunga as an important and growing township.

Mayor Lorraine Rosenberg puts the increase down to the suburb’s character, a good arts precinct, with street art as well as a range of restaurants.

“It suits everyone with a relaxed, informal, real country feel – compared to other places that feel a bit urbanised,” Ms Rosenberg says.

The council installed a parklet outside The Coffee Factory to expand the business’s footprint, bring more people to the area and encourage patrons to stay longer.

The cafe was selected following a council-wide search.

Matthew Ball, Michael Wood, Alan Foreman and Ampika Wandee at The Keg & Barrel Steak House, Bar & Grill.

Port Noarlunga trader Alan Foreman, owner of burger and rib joint The Keg & Barrel Steak House, Bar & Grill, noticed a local demand for something a bit different.

When premises on Gawler St became available, he opened his initiative – a steakhouse with 10 rotating beers and cider on tap.

“We’ve had people come to our restaurant who’ve said ‘Geez, I haven’t been (to Port Noarlunga) for years’,” Mr Foreman said.

“I really had no idea this would be successful, but the response has been overwhelming.

“We get people from Henley and Grange coming here.”

The Southern Times Messenger spoke to Port Noarlunga traders and community groups about how the suburb had changed as part its Love Local coverage.

Enjoying the daily grind

THE daily grind is made all the more easier when you work in a vibrant community like Port Noarlunga, says The Coffee Factory’s Danielle Wigzell.

Ms Wigzell opened the cafe on Gawler St with her brother, Michael Russo, and her parents, Lennie and Tony Russo, in March last year.

In the past 10 months, the 33-year-old has watched Port Noarlunga’s popularity skyrocket, which she attributes to new businesses attracting a younger crowd and encouraging visitors to stay longer.

The Coffee Factor owner Danielle Wigzell. Picture: AAP/Keryn Stevens

“The place we have here is very youthful, so we are getting a younger crowd coming here,” Ms Wigzell says.

“It’s vibrant, has a friendly, local community and it is just a beautiful place to be.

“The local people here aren’t just your customers, they become your friends.”

To further boost the shopping precinct’s potential, Onkaparinga Council last month created a parklet – a roadside carpark temporarily turned into an outdoor dining space.

It’s right outside the front of the cafe, creating room for an extra 15 customers.

It was selected as a suitable location because it creates a point of interest and brings something new to the community, an Onkaparinga Council spokesman says.

The parklet will remain at the cafe for the next year.

“When the council offered us (the parklet) we jumped at it,” Ms Wigzell says.

“It adds a lot of character to the street … and has brought in a lot of people.”

Onkaparinga Mayor Lorraine Rosenberg said the council had three parklets to share across the council district –all allocated through application.

The other two parklets had not yet been assigned locations.