Cafe 21 owners Jenny Um, Brian Barnes deliver food, massage at Elements, Daily Eatz at Stuart Park

A new Stuart Park business set to open its doors on July 3 will nourish the stomachs and soothe the muscles of Darwin workers and their families, its owners say. FIND OUT MORE.

Business woman Jenny Um and some of her hospitality team outside her new business venture, Elements and Daily Eatz. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

A new Stuart Park business set to open its doors on July 3 will nourish the stomachs and soothe the muscles of Darwin workers and their families, its owners say.

Behind the colourful facade at 61 Stuart Highway, Stuart Park, Jenny Um and Brian Barnes are putting the finishing touches to their latest venture – a takeaway outlet alongside a massage clinic.

The project has been in the planning for two years but picked up pace last year when they bought the building, which was once home to Delaney’s clothing.

But there was plenty of leg work needed for business sustainability and growth before going ahead with the plan, including collaborating with Pompea Sweet at the NT’s Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade’s MigrationNT business unit, who was instrumental in successfully securing remedial massage therapy on the Territory’s Designated Area Migration Agreement occupation list, an employer sponsored migration program based around our regional status.

Territory businessman, International College of Advanced Education’s Sean Mahoney, has added remedial massage to the college’s course list, with the 12-month diploma course beginning in 2023.

Businesswoman Jenny Um and some of her hospitality team outside her new Stuart Park business venture, Elements and Daily Eatz. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Elements Wellness has nine fully Australian qualified Remedial Massage therapists working in the relocated Elements, with therapists from all over the world alongside locally trained therapists.

Apart from massage, Elements Wellness offers other services including cupping and dry needling.

Many private health insurers offer a rebate for remedial massage, lowering the service cost to as little as $23.

Elements Wellness is a Medibank Members Choice clinic meaning Medibank members receive a much greater rebate.

They have had some members only pay a gap of $7 for a 1-hour remedial massage.

“There is absolutely a lot of demand for massage,” Ms Um said.

“A lot of people don’t realise they can claim through their private health fund and fail to use their extras which just goes to waste at the end of each calendar year.

With a fully equipped commercial kitchen on premise, Daily Eatz will open at 6am and shut between 9-10 o’clock, seven days a week.

Elements, with eight consultation rooms, will open at 9am and also be open late seven days a week.

“Daily Eatz will offer a wide variety of foods, great coffee, juices and salads etc. It will offer home cooked meals that won’t hurt you in the pocket. Where you can get a decent dinner for $15 a head.

The stand-out coloured wall are going nowehere. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“You can pick up your dinner, go home and its done. It’s a niche market nobody else is doing.

“Every day the menu’s different. You’ll have rice, salad and a protein. The idea is we’re going to get you a home cooked meal; a lasagne with Greek salad for $15 or a Massaman curry with steamed rice for $15.

“There will be the classic favourites like roast pork, lasagne, honey chicken, teriyaki chicken, all the classic stuff everybody loves. You come in, get really yummy chicken cheese and avocado toasties and coffee, honey chicken, fried rice, noodles and satays. It’s something people every day can relate to so we’re really trying to feed the community with price consciousness price point.”

“The Territory needs stability” she said.

“The billion-dollar resources projects don’t filter down to everybody and it’s the small to medium business people that provide stability, jobs and revenue.”

With plenty of parking at rear of premises the new, colourful Stuart Highway facade is already attracting attention but, like their creator, they’re not going anywhere.