A development application is in for the new entertainment venue above the new Food World restaurant at 157 Keira St.

Food World, a Wollongong Institution for 24 years, moved across the road from its previous home in recent weeks after hamburger chain Hello Harry was eased out of the premises with an offer “too good to refuse”.

Upstairs from Food World would be the new venue, proposed by the president of the Wollongong Chinese Business Association, Michael Li, who said he hoped the entertainment area would be open by June.

“The target of the entertainment is mainly for the Chinese students, but international students and local people are also welcome to enjoy themselves,” Mr Li told the Mercury.

With mah jong, computer games and “VIP dining”, the venue’s plans point to a different kind of bar from many alcohol-driven venues. The new venue will seek to capitalise on Wollongong’s international student contingent being the “sleeping giant” of the city’s nightlife.

“The first floor will be used to for entertainment, which will come to use in June,” Mr Li said. “At the moment, we expect to see four karaoke bars, one mah jong bar, one fine dining VIP room, and a multi-function entertainment area, including the billiards tables, (PlayStation 4), et cetera.”

Hello Harry franchisor Rob McCue said it was “ridiculous” how many hamburger places were open within a small space in Wollongong’s CBD – but insisted this was not the reason for moving.

He said the Keira St site was not the ideal size for their outlet, so the offer from Mr Li was too good to refuse.

“We happily approved of the proposal primarily because the Kiera street site was a site we were not overly comfortable with,” he said.

“I do however agree [that] Wollongong CBD and close by suburbs – like no other area I have seen previously – has way too many burger businesses. It is quite ridiculous actually.”

Hello Harry will reopen on the Princes Hwy at Dapto.

The new venue’s DA is on public exhibition.