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Category: Food and Beverage / Food and Cooking / Local Government

Perth traders appeal for help in pop-up battle

Tuesday, 21 Jun 2016 20:16:34 | Kathryn Diss

Pop-up bars and food vans are a common sight during the Perth Fringe Festival. (Supplied)

Northbridge traders are fighting for changes to allow them to better compete with pop-up food and drink venues following a sharp rise in their use throughout Perth's CBD.

The City of Perth has trialled the use of pop-up venues and food vans in and around the city in recent years to help enliven dull areas.

While they have become a frequent feature in some parts of the city, they are mainly used during festival periods.

Northbridge Brewing Company part-owner Michael Keiller, who chose Perth's entertainment heart to set up his business, said pop-up bars and restaurants were impacting on traders and drawing patrons away from permanent rate-paying venues.

Michael Keiller stands in front of a bar at Northbridge Brewing Company. Photo: Michael Keiller says the number of pop-up events needs to be looked at. (ABC News: Kathryn Diss)

"When they're being set up on critical trading nights for bricks and mortar type venues, then it's not an even playing field," Mr Keiller said.

"We're all for activation of deep spaces and things like that. If they want to set up in the cultural centre on a Tuesday or a Wednesday night, no problem.

"But when it starts to become more than just the odd occasion on Friday and Saturday nights, the ratepayers, the people who are employing people 52 weeks of the year, deserve some consideration."

The State Government used pop-ups to activate the newly-opened Elizabeth Quay over summer, and has plans to roll them out elsewhere.

Mr Keiller said when pop-venues were used in precincts which already held established venues, it did not lead to any net gain for business.

"There's just not the population to sustain all these different types of things," he said.

"The metropolitan market, it's a bit like a water bed. If you push it down here, it pops up over here. There's not more water, there's the same amount of water, it's just getting pushed in different areas.

"So you might have a big event at Elizabeth Quay or one of the other areas in the CBD, next weekend it's down at Leederville or Mt Lawley or Fremantle, it's the same market just shifting around.

"The number and the frequency of these pop-up type events that are competing with the existing traders needs to be looked at."

Give restaurants, pubs level playing field: AHA

Australian Hotels Association WA chief executive Bradley Woods agreed with the concern.

"It is disappointing the Government's been using food vans and pop-up venues as a way of activating some spaces," he said.

"It's concerning when the MRA [Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority] is using that tactic when at the same time they're trying to attract full-time tenants into those spaces."

While the industry agreed pop-up venues brought vibrancy to the city's streets, Mr Woods argued laws needed to change to put restaurants on a level playing field, to example to allow them to better utilise alfresco areas.

"Relaxing the rules to allow full-time hospitality venues, bars and pubs to be able to mix drinks serve drinks, prepare drinks and dispense drinks in alfresco areas makes perfect sense," he said.

"On the other side however, the preparation of food and the manufacturing of food should be contained to the commercial kitchens."

The City of Perth voted on Tuesday night to prepare a report about how alfresco dining laws could be amended, after councillor Jemma Green raised the matter at a committee meeting.

Cr Green wants the council to consider amending the relevant act to allow venues to better utilise their alfresco areas by allowing the serving and preparation of food and drink outdoors.

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