Boathouse restaurant, Palm Beach, bulldozed to make way for updated eatery
A popular northern beaches waterside eatery has been demolished — but it’s part of a plan to improve and rebuild a well known Sydney dining empire.
Manly
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The part-owners of the popular Boathouse dining empire have bought another property on the northern beaches.
This time at Terrey Hills.
Brothers Ben and Jono Isaac, owners of Isaac Property Developments, splurged $9.8 million on a 1.6 hectare rural block that backs on to Mona Vale Rd, not far from the Terrey Hills Tavern.
The Isaacs, whose main interests are in developing service stations, childcare centres and fast food outlets, bought into the, what was then, financially troubled Boathouse Group in mid-2019.
Since then they have been working to expand and refurbish the network of eateries including one of its oldest outlets, on the edge of Pittwater at Palm Beach.
Demolition of the Boathouse Palm Beach, which leases the premises on the wharf, along with a boat hire shop and a seaplane charter business, began this week.
In June 2021, the Manly Daily reported that the owners of the property, a group of Palm Beach families, wanted to replace the deteriorating structure with a “like for like” modernised building.
Permission for the demolition and construction of the new building was granted by the Northern Beaches Local Planning Panel in December last year.
Boathouse group managing director, Andrew Goldsmith said at the time that the “new building has exactly the same footprint as the existing one.
“The landlord wants to rebuild in the same weatherboard style and have the same casual cafe feel.
“The difference is there will be bigger bathrooms and the kitchen will be larger and modern.
“It is a necessary thing, the rebuild is well overdue. The upstairs is in a bad condition.”
He added that the plans include formalising 10 carparking spots with markings that already exist.
In September last year the Boathouse Group had taken over the lease of the heritage-listed Manly Pavilion, on West Esplanade on Manly Cove. Its fit-out is underway and they hope to open its doors to the public in early April.
Ben Isaac told the Manly Daily on Thursday that the restaurant had been booked out, by the previous operator, as a venue linked to the upcoming Aqua Rugby two-day event that begins in Manly on March 4.
“We will honour this booking and be open for this event,” he said. “However, we will officially open a few weeks later.”
The property the Isaacs bought at 40 Myoora Rd was advertised by Ray White Commercial as having “a multitude of uses” and is zoned “RU4” which allows small scale rural and agriculture production, but can alo be used, with consent, for other purposes including community facilities, plant nurseries, churches, outdoor recreation facilities, veterinary hospitals and schools.
Mr Isaac said he had no plans for the land yet.
“The purchase was completely opportunistic. I live locally and drove past it every day.”
After it was passed in at a recent auction Mr Isaac said he was able to “secure the property at short notice”.
“As a result I haven’t had the opportunity to work out what we want to do here.
“We will work though our options over the next couple of months to see what is best suited for the location.”
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