Glenelg Moseley Bar and Kitchen beach club is a kick in the guts: trader

A GLENELG business owner has called a plan to create a European-style summer bar on the beach a “kick in the guts”, as others praised the idea.

Brad Thornton and Cassandra Mamone with cocktails served by Jade Booth of the Moseley at Glenelg. The Moseley has been approved to run a beach bar. Picture: Matt Turner.

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A GLENELG business owner has called a plan to create a European-style summer bar on the beach a “kick in the guts”, as others praised the idea.

Mint on Moseley and Mint 2 owner Katrina Wilkinson said she was “next level angry” a seven-day kitchen and bar serving up to 350 people will open up on the Glenelg beach foreshore later this month.

“I’ve put my blood, sweat and tears into (my businesses) and I feel like I’ve been kicked in the gut,” she said.

“I’m a big believer in working in a team ... why can’t we all be involved instead of just one company? There will be more vacant shops down in Glenelg now.”

The pop-up beach club, which will include 48 sun lounges and eight double sun beds, will be run by Moseley Bar and Kitchen.

Cibo Glenelg business owner Tony Beatrice said he believed the club would bring more visitors to the area and St Louis House of Fine Ice Cream and Dessert managing director George Karamalis called the plan “innovative”.

Katrina and Ben Wilkinson at the opening of Mint 2 in 2016. Picture: Campbell Brodie

Mamma Carmela manager Rosemarie Basheer said it would give the foreshore a European vibe.

“People might linger down at the bay for longer,” she said.

“As long as we’ve got the security measures in place I can’t see why it wouldn’t be a good thing.”

A spokesman for nearby Glenelg Pier Hotel, on Holdfast Promenade, said they were looking into using the beach in a similar way in the future.

The Moseley Beach Club will take up 750sq m on the sand and will be located on the northern side of Glenelg Jetty, next to the sea wall.

Glenelg ward councillor Bob Patton said he was in favour of the plan, although he was originally unsure about how it might impact local traders.

“I was certainly a little concerned with that ... (but) The Moseley has been very professional in how they’ve handled their hotel (and) it’s been planned for some time,” he said.

“This could be progress, and if it doesn’t work it will quickly be stopped.”

The location of the Moseley Beach Club at Glenelg beach.

An Advertiser.com.au poll of almost 550 respondents yesterday showed 74 per cent of people were in favour of the foreshore beach club.

The Moseley operations manager Luke Donaldson said the project was a work in progress for the past few years and cost “hundreds of thousands of dollars and a huge amount of time”.

Holdfast Bay deputy mayor Amanda Wilson said the proposal was “the right offering at the right time”.

“We’re looking to grow the number of visitors by 15 per cent by 2022 and one of the most important ways we can do that is to support innovative business ventures that are specifically designed to boost visitation,” she said.

The beach club will be open from mid-to-late January until early April each day from noon, except for Saturday, when it opens at 10am.

The liquor licence is until 9pm on weekdays and 11pm on weekends.

Entry will be free before 5pm and $5 in the evening.

The lounges will carry a minimum spend package of $50 or $100, redeemable on food, drink and towels.