Cuckoo Restaurant hits back at complaints over sign

IT HAS drawn countless visitors from all over the world to the Hills, but Cuckoo Restaurant is out of favour with some of its neighbours over its use of a flashing electronic sign.

The flashing sign advertising The Cuckoo restaurant that drew complaints. Picture: Wildeye

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A TEMPORARY electronic sign at a landmark restaurant has sparked controversy in Olinda.

Yarra Ranges Council received several complaints about the sign outside Cuckoo Restaurant on the Mount Dandenong Tourist Rd.

Some of the complainants said the sign was distracting for drivers, while others contended it was out of character for the area.

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But a Facebook message posted by the restaurant slammed the “unconstructive and nuisance comments” from naysayers.

The sign — put up in the first week of May — was taken down on Monday.

It advertised a new offering from the restaurant on Friday nights.

The restaurant says it attracts about 117,000 visitors every year. Picture: Supplied

Cuckoo general manager Emile Nicholas said Cuckoo was putting on entertainment such as jazz and cabaret on Friday nights to give people an alternative to the full smorgasbord offering the restaurant is famous for.

“It was a quick call to action ... it was only ever going to be up for two weeks,” he said.

Mr Nicholas said the Friday nights were a huge success and he was surprised to see the sign criticised on a community noticeboard on Facebook.

The online comments included “one disgruntled lady” who said the sign was dazzling for motorists.

Mr Nicholas said public opinion in Olinda was overwhelmingly in favour of the restaurant’s right to put up the sign.

The restaurant made a post about the sign on its Facebook page on May 19.

It said the sign had been “met by a few with unconstructive and nuisance comments”.

The post went on to say the temporary sign should be acceptable to “any reasonable person”.

It said that each year, the restaurant employs an average of 80 people, attracts 117,000 visitors and spends about $2 million.

It said the business had been part of the community since it was established 59 years ago.

Council director of economic and social development Ali Wastie confirmed it received “six or seven complaints”.

She said because the property was in a green wedge zone, it was subject to greater signage restrictions than other areas.

However, Ms Wastie said the restaurant didn’t need a permit if such a sign promoted a special event and was up for fewer than 28 days.

She confirmed the council wrote to the restaurant owner on May 12 to say it would inspect the site for alleged illegal signage.

However, the restaurant removed the sign before that inspection could take place.