IceBar Surfers Paradise cheers to first 12 months of business

A Gold Coast tourism hotspot that offers negative temperatures and a positive escape from the heat says the Glitter Strip is thriving. FULL STORY

A Gold Coast tourism hotspot that offers negative temperatures and a positive escape from the heat says the Glitter Strip is thriving.

IceBar opened its second Australian venue in February 2024 in Surfers Paradise following a successful 18 years in Melbourne.

Kept at a constant -10 degrees, the venue is described as a “winter wonderland” carved from a whopping 44 tonnes of ice.

Ice Bar in Surfers Paradise turns one, and supervisor Corbin Bednarik is ready to celebrate. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Venue supervisor Neena Hawkett said, despite first-year challenges, the business was investing in Surfers Paradise for the long run.

“New Year’s was absolutely crazy,” she said.

“We were having to turn people away because we were at max capacity for hours on end, which was really amazing to see – especially in our first year as that doesn’t always happen.”

IceBar is inside the Hilton precinct of Cavill Lane, which has seen significant business turnover.

Ex-Schoolies boss Richard Holliday called Surfers Paradise a “wasteland of empty shops” and “anti-social behaviour” in a recent opinion piece.

But this new kid on the block insists, while trade may differ from its original Melbourne base, the Glitter Strip is thriving.

General manager Charlotte Stephens toasts the success of the Surfers Paradise IceBar. Picture: Glenn Hampson

“It’s been a bit of a learning curve how two different states and cities work differently,” Ms Hawkett said.

“It’s more relaxed here in Surfers whereas Melbourne is a bit more fast paced.

“We’ve just had to learn how to run things differently here as Melbourne is more bookings based, whereas here people seem far more relaxed so we have mainly walk-ins.

“It really is a prime spot to be for everyone walking past.”