Surfers Paradise nightclub Cocktails celebrates 35 year birthday at Orchid Avenue hotspot

The operator of one of the longest-running and most popular Surfers Paradise party spots has revealed the keys to lasting three-plus decades. Read the secrets to his success

Security at Cocktails on its opening night 35 years ago. Picture: Supplied

The operator behind a Surfers Paradise nightclub institution which marks its 35th birthday on Friday says great staff and staying relevant are the keys to his longevity.

As the longest running nightclub on Gold Coast party strip Orchid Avenue, Cocktails and its team have every right to party hard - and owner Lino Girardi said he was not planning on going anywhere.

In the days leading up to the big night, Mr Girardi reflected on the last 35 years when he has either been the co-owner or outright owner of the popular nightspot.

“Myself and three other partners took it over in 1989 and we ran it until 2006 with partners, and then since then, I’ve had it on my own, so we bought the partners out.

“Regulations have changed a lot - the no smoking came in, then the licensing of security guards, scanning laws, lockout laws, all those sort of things change – mostly for the better,” he said.

Then Cocktails and Dreams nightclub owner Lino Girardi in the nightclub’s former iteration in 2009. He celebrates 35 years of the venue this weekend.

Mr Girardi said the secret to staying in business so long was staying relevant and having a good team of staff, which numbers 45 as it stands.

“If you don’t stay relevant, if customers don’t like what you’re doing, they’ll quickly move to somewhere else and they’ve got a lot of choice.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to have some great staff, one manager’s been here 19 years. We even have casual bar workers who stay on for years - that’s in an industry that turns over a lot, having core staff that don’t turn over, I think that’s been important.”

Originally named Cocktails and Dreams, Mr Girardi said the name of the venue isn’t the only thing that has changed.

“We’ve changed decor quite a bit, we could still probably do with another renovation, things get old pretty quickly.

Iconic Surfers Paradise nightclub Cocktails owner Lino Girardi in the newly refurbished club back in 2013: “We’re known as a young club but we still get about 400 people a weekend that are over 25.”

“The crowd has stayed pretty much the same but as we get older, everyone looks younger.

“That’s always the way, but it’s always been 80 per cent 18 to 25. We’re known as a young club but we still get about 400 people a weekend that are over 25,” he said.

Mr Girardi also said he was not quite done yet.

“I think I’ll be here a while longer and I’m very positive about the future of Surfers Paradise.

“The investments in Surfers Paradise, the [Pacific] Airshow, the Sporting Globe, multimillion dollar investments in service, it’s got to give you confidence that things are looking up,” he said.

Cocktail’s 35th birthday party is on Friday at the Orchid Ave location.

Free entry and VIP benefits are available between 9pm and 11pm and welcome gifts will be given out on the door.