Chadstone customers want new dining, entertainment experiences

Australia’s largest shopping centre, Melbourne’s Chadstone, opens its new dining and entertainment precinct and doesn’t think economic headwinds will crash its party.

Melbourne's Chadstone Shopping Centre has unveiled a new $70m entertainment and dining precinct called The Social Quarter.

The boss of Australia’s largest shopping centre, Melbourne’s Chadstone, isn’t worried the potent combination of rising interest rates and of cost of living pressures will crash the grand opening of its new $70m up-market dining and entertainment precinct called “the Social Quarter”.

Chadstone centre manager Daniel Boyle said shoppers were looking for more experiences around food and entertainment as part of a traditional retail offer at a shopping centre and that despite the economic headwinds facing retailers there was still a desire — and available spending — for people to head out to restaurants, cafes, bowling alleys or entertainment zones.

“There’s one thing that hasn’t changed and we don’t believe it will change in the future is that customers tell us that they are absolutely looking for a greater depth in experiences when they visit malls and when they come to visit a place like Chadstone.

New dining and entertainment offerings are open at Chadstone Shopping Centre. Picture: Josie Hayden

“And food and entertainment is a huge part of what consumers want outside of that traditional retail offering. So, regardless of those macro economic pressures, which will play out over a period of time, over the long run. We are really filling that void around what people are seeking to come and dine and entertain in addition to all of the other great things that people are used to when they visit malls.”

The new Social Quarter Chadstone retail, dining and entertainment precinct has been years in the planning, cost the centre $70m and spans more than 10,350 square metres of new retail space.

The Social Quarter has more elevated or premium dining experiences than a traditional shopping centre food court with a McDonald’s or KFC, and includes Piccolina Gelateria, White + Wong’s featuring their rooftop Sardine Bar, and UA Brewing Co. which boasts an onsite brewery producing sustainable craft beer exclusively for The Social Quarter. The Social Quarter’s new dining offering is complemented by existing favourites such as Betty’s Burgers, Marai Izakaya, New Shanghai, Mama’s Buoi and Cinque Terre.

Within the expanded Chadstone, which is jointly owned by property company Vicinity Centres and property billionaire John Gandel, the Social Quarter will also have entertainment venues such as Strike Bowling, arcade games venue, mini golf and Victoria’s first Hijinx Hotel escape room.

The new precinct inclues an Archie Brothers.

But the Social Quarter, opening on Wednesday, comes to fruition just as the economy looks to be slowing as nine months of interest rate rises takes the heat out of the economy and threatens discretionary spending. Just the type of spending Chadstone is looking to reap with its new precinct.

“With over a million residents just in our local economic corridor, there is a great pool of people that will come and pick from that range of offers.

“And if you think about the diversity of the offer, this precinct in particular, the Social Quarter is all about eating, drinking, playing all day because you’ve got everything from the Holey Moley mini golf experience, Victoria’s first Hijinx Hotel games room, you’ve got something that resonates with the young and old. But you certainly do also have a very affluent pocket in our main trade area that do own their own homes, that are at retirement age and do have savings and those consumers are also still looking for varied experiences and depth of experiences.”