Toowoomba’s Drayton Bowls Club now called Rink 46, offering diverse menu

Just months after partnering with one of Toowoomba’s biggest entertainment venues, a struggling sports club has been reopened as a trendy bistro.

A flagging Toowoomba sports club’s $2m transformation has continued with its recent transformation into a trendy restaurant in the city’s southern suburbs.

The Drayton Bowls Club is now called Rink 46, having opened late last year following an extensive renovation.

It comes less than six months after Drayton partnered with the City Golf Club to save it from oblivion, with their new collaborator taking over operations in the building as part of a revamp worth an estimated $2m once completed.

Open five nights a week and specialising in Asian cuisine, the bistro is headed by former City Golf Club wok chef Sam Albert.

Rink 46 bistro chef Sam Albert with the fish of the day and garlic prawn stir fry following extensive renovations at the venue formerly known as Drayton Bowls Club, Thursday, January 12, 2023. Picture: Kevin Farmer

CGC general manager Peter Constance said the extensive refurbishments included a complete overhaul of the kitchen.

“We’ve given it a significant investment and decent facelift – we’ve basically remodelled the whole premises and it’s trading well,” he said.

“To make it work, we had to attack it immediately, because we couldn’t just walk in there (and open), we had to make sure the product was up to standard.

“We rebuilt the kitchen to bring it up to standard too.”

Mr Constance said the upheaval wasn’t isolated to the dining, with the club also turning its third bowling green into a “family activity area” in the future.

Rink 46 bistro restaurant supervisor Amy Bauer with the fish of the day following extensive renovations, Thursday, January 12, 2023. Picture: Kevin Farmer

“We’re really focusing on younger people now, with barefoot bowls and family activities,” he said.

“We’ve done a fair bit of work (to the third green), we’ve put a new barbecue area in there and that area will redevelop over a period of time.”

Mr Constance said the new bistro was having a positive impact on the bowling itself, with the club reporting more casual users and members over the past few months.

“The number of bowlers have increased from 100 to 130 or so, it’s been pretty significant – people have come from all over,” he said.

The Toowoomba Jazz Society has also moved its regular events to Rink 46.