Inside Surfers Paradise party precinct with Billy Cross, Billy James, Tim Martin
From partying celebrities to wild nights out, the major players in making Surfers Paradise an internationally renowned party precinct reveal their amazing stories from the city’s biggest clubs.
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THE OPERATORS behind some of Surfers Paradise's biggest venues delve into the secrets and stories from the Glitter Strips party precinct.
PARTY BOOM FROM BEACH HOUSE WITH BILLY JAMES
In the early 1990s surf lifesaving figure Billy James entered the real estate game, but little did he know what it would mean for Surfers Paradise for the next decade.
Mr James bought the management rights of more than 21 units in Surfers Paradise’s Iluka building.
CROSSING OVER TO THE NIGHT SIDE WITH BILLY CROSS
In the late 1990s Billy Cross noticed a new business opportunity while on the Gold Coast.
Opening his first venue, Berlin Lounge Bar in 1999, Mr Cross then launched The Drink in 2000.
Before long he had nine clubs along famed Surfers Paradise party strip Orchid Ave, including buying and renaming The Penthouse.
RIDING SURFERS PARADISE SEA-CHANGE WITH TIM MARTIN
Tim Martin started at the Cavill Ave venue – an institution – working behind the bar but quickly moved his way up to nightclub manager before Melbas changed hands in 2008.
Under the eye of night scene fixture and owner the late Paul Allen – who ran Melbas for over two decades – Mr Martin learnt his craft before he was asked to run a soon-to-be opened venue called Sin City.
'VERGE OF COMING BACK': HOW SURFERS CAN REGAIN THE CROWN
September 22, 2021
SURFERS PARADISE has endured a tough two years, with tourism decimated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
High-profile crimes have also impacted on the area’s reputation.
But in the fourth part of our special After Dark series, key players tell us its reputation for crime is not deserved and the party precinct is safer than it was in previous years.
They also say the opening of classy new venues is changing the atmosphere in the Gold Coast’s party hub.
CURBING THE CRIME
Artesian Hospitality group owns many venues in Surfers Paradise including famed nightclubs Sin City and The Bedroom plus bar-restaurant White Rhino Bar + Eats and Surfers Pavilion.
Artesian partner and venues general manager Tim Martin said the introduction of ID scanning helped clean up Surfers Paradise by putting accountability on people to behave or be banned.
“Surfers Paradise rose to fame in the 80s through its nightclubs. It’s a shame that as the area grows and matures it’s stuck with the same stigma,” he said.
“You put thousands of people in any location and you’re going to have some social issues.
“It’s nowhere near where it used to be and the beat up Surfers gets is not correct.
“There might be an annoying drunk person when you walk down the street at night but it’s not unsafe like it was 10 to 15 years ago.”
REVEALED: GRAND PLANS OF COAST RESTAURANT KINGS
Former police superintendent Jim Keogh said time will tell if Surfers streets will remain safe and advised the city’s police to be ready and plan how to keep Surfers safe when Covid finished.
“It’s like house break-ins declining, it’s because people are home more due to Covid so the break-ins go down,” he said.
“Currently in Surfers half the venues are closed and the others are struggling for trade.
“Eventually we will come out of Covid – and Surfers and the Gold Coast needs to be sold to Australia and the wider community as a great, fun, safe holiday destination.
“We want to make sure we have exceptionally safe precincts on the Gold Coast.”
In recent years, Surfers Paradise has been the scene of horrific stabbings.
In a 12-month period three fatal stabbings occurred in Surfers Paradise claiming the lives of Raymond Harris, 27, in September 2020, Nicholas Braid, 35, in April 2020 and Jack Beasley, 17, in December 2019.
The incidents provoked a 12-month “wanding” trial starting in May this year, allowing police to carry metal detectors and the power to scan people at random, without suspicious, during certain times in Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.
A GROWING GOLD COAST
Once running nine venues in Surfers Paradise, Billy Cross was the king of the night scene in the 2000s.
He recalled a time when there was no other place to be for a night out on the Gold Coast than Surfers Paradise.
“Back in the day everyone lived in a 10km range of Surfers. It had become the destination,” he said.
“In my days you only went to Surfers. Burleigh wasn’t a scene yet, no one went to Palmy and Broadbeach didn’t have a lot.
“There were 18-year-olds to 40-year-olds in Surfers. Now it is very young.
“That’s starting to change with a few more classy venues turning up but Burleigh is massive, Broadbeach is massive. It’s not just about Surfers anymore.”
Founder of 1990s popular venue Billy’s Beach House, Billy James agreed and said the Gold Coast was designed to have more than one area for entertainment options.
“When you look at how the Gold Coast is set out, you can see the pockets along the coast line,” he said.
“When the city grew these areas also picked up and their scenes have grown with them.”
Once sleepy, surfer towns, Burleigh Heads and Palm Beach have become hot spots for hospitality.
Mr Cross credits the Gold Coast’s hospitality boom to younger generations staying in the city.
“What you have to remember is the population wasn’t like it is now, especially the youth population living on the Gold Coast,” he said.
“People used to move away once they finished school and returned to raise a family but that has changed.
“What happened was young entrepreneurs and young people with aspirations in hospitality opened up little pop-up bars and restaurants around Burleigh.
“They were getting cheap rents back then. So it created a scene with all these little venues.
“Then that stretched to Palmy and Broady took off too.”
CHANGE OF SCENE
Mr Cross now runs Nineteen at The Star in Broadbeach and said the venue was a part of the maturing drinking culture on the Gold Coast.
“The Gold Coast is going to a higher level. Even local pubs and bars are moving to an upscale level,” he said.
“The dining part is really important now during a night out. That’s where that Euro-vibe is coming into the Gold Coast.
“You look at the dining on the Gold Coast right from Broadbeach to Palmy and it’s some of the best in the country.
“We have really come alive. We are competing now with Sydney and Melbourne.
“It might be even better.”
Mr Martin said a more health-conscious community has also seen changes in clients’ wants.
“There used to be smoking in clubs and that has long gone,” he said.
“People go out less now but spend more money on a night out.
“Gone are the times when people would think how can I make the most of every cent when I go out. They’re happy to pay more for a few drinks and a good experience.”
In Surfers Paradise the Hallmark Group has made a name with its venues including Asylum nightclub, The Cavill Hotel and Retro’s Cocktail Lounge.
Director Matt Heanen said the nightclub scene was still pivotal for Surfers Paradise but the group recognised more options needed to be available.
“The Gold Coast nightlife scene has transformed over the last decade. Once a destination primarily for late-night party goers, Surfers Paradise now boasts an elevated hospitality experience,” he said.
“Surfers Paradise has evolved into a playground of clubs, pubs, bars, and restaurants which is attracting a variety of guests.
“While the Glitter Strip remains the ultimate party precinct in Queensland, the offering is now more diverse.”
The site where the Cavill Hotel sits used to belong to Melbas, one of the biggest nightclubs on the Gold Coast for three decades.
The Cavill Ave location now hosts a bar restaurant that is far from the nightclub for the nocturnal.
“We recognised the appetite for a more diverse experience. We felt the iconic Melba’s location would be the perfect spot for a gastropub that embraces this concept and welcomes guests to enjoy the sports bar and gaming lounge, to dine or visit for a Sunday session,” Mr Heanen said.
HOW SURFERS CAN REGAIN THE CROWN
Mr James said what Burleigh Pavilion has done to Burleigh Heads was a great example for Surfers Paradise.
He said being a cut above and bringing class to venues was the way forward for the suburb.
“You look at what Ben May has done with Burleigh Pavilion and how well that has gone. The nightlife scene has grown around it and is the place to be for a certain generation,” he said.
“White Rhino in Surfers does it. People dress up to go there.
“When I had the Beach House we made sure people had to be well dressed.”
Once just operating three nightclubs – Bedroom, Sin City and Havana – and now along with White Rhino, Artesian has been expanding its portfolio in recent years.
Responding to the popularity of Burleigh Pavilion, the group opened Surfers Pavilion in April.
Mr Martin said the venue caters for the experience people now want.
“People are becoming more knowledgeable about the dining experience and there’s outlets to rate your experience.
“The scene has had to lift as the client demands go up.”
Artesian is about to launch its latest venue Cali Beach Club on September 24.
The $10 million dollar rooftop open-air beach club on the corner of Surfers Paradise Blvd and Elkhorn Ave is one of many venues helping Surfers Paradise change its scene, Mr Martin said.
“With the likes of Cali, I think the landscape of Surfers will change again,” he said.
“Cali joining the likes of White Rhino and Surfers Pavilion draws a different crowd.
“People who haven’t been in Surfers for ten years are returning.
“Every business is on board. From our venues to BOB’s microbrewery, a change of scene is here.
“There’s a lot of business operators putting a lot of money into bringing a different experience.”
Mr Cross currently has no connection to Surfers Paradise and from the outside looking in he said things were moving in the right direction.
“I’ve been here as a young 17-year-old kid and watched the city grow. I owe a lot of my success to Surfers Paradise,” he said.
“I feel like Surfers is on the verge of coming back, which is a good thing, but there’s still a lot more work that needs to be done.”
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Originally published as Inside Surfers Paradise party precinct with Billy Cross, Billy James, Tim Martin
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