Cairns waterfront restaurants unite to offer unique dining experience

A collective made up of the Far North’s best known restaurants is tackling Covid challenges head on by marketing a waterfront dining strip as Cairns’ go-to CBD foodie hub.

A COLLECTIVE made up of Cairns’ best known restaurants is tackling Covid challenges head on by marketing a waterfront dining strip as Cairns’ go-to CBD foodie hub.

Dundee’s on the Waterfront, Ochre Restaurant, Boatshed, Blu Marlin Bistro and Ollie’s Italian Steakhouse have joint forces to promote Marlin Wharf as the premier destination for fine food.

Faced with chronic chef, kitchen and front of house staff shortages on top of an international customer lockout the creation of the Cairns Waterfront Dining venture was a novel way to attract more diners through the door.

Owner of the Boatshed Tiina Horne, Blu Marlin Bistro general manager Martin Lewczak and owner Paul Harris, Dundee's restaurant manager Jacob Lowe, Ochre general manager and director Carley Elsum and Ollie's Italian Steakhouse operations manager Leith Wilson will collectively host a progressive dinner on Thursday June 24. Picture: Brendan Radke

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Operations manager of Ollie’s Italian Steakhouse Leith Wilson said the first event was a progressive dinner slated for June 24.

“We really wanted to make this event niche and small to give our guests an amazing experience, she said.

“And then from there we plan to rollout events similar to this, maybe every month or every quarter but it will depend on the demand.”

Dundee’s On the Waterfront restaurant manager Jacob Lowe said the operation had suffered since Covid hit but he was optimistic new events would make a difference.

“We have got a pretty big operation and it takes a lot of people to keep the ship sailing,” he said.

“We used to get 20 or 30 resumes a week dropped off and now we get zero. You actually have to go out there and say you are looking for staff on every backpacker job page on Facebook, Gumtree and we have even started to advertise (jobs) down south, trying to sell the north Queensland dream.”

Restaurant owners in the Harbour Lights building on the Cairns waterfront have joined forces to let both tourists and locals know there is more to dining out in Cairns than just the Esplanade. Picture: Brendan Radke

Asked if the Jobs in Paradise scheme and resulted in a worker flood Mr Lowe shook his head.

“I don’t think there is much clarity behind the scheme, I have got HR people trying to figure out how to claim these (employees) and how it works,” he said

Despite the challenges Ms Wilson said the new restaurant group was determined to make the best of the situation.

“We have got a fantastic offering down here, we have got Dundees that has been in business for 30 years, (and) Ochre is an award-winning restaurant. Everyone has worked their arses off down here,” she said.

“Covid has had an affect but we are not going to let that stop us. We are going to team together to put this dining strip at the forefront of locals and tourists’ minds.”

Originally published as Cairns waterfront restaurants unite to offer unique dining experience