Operators chosen to run North Beach Bathers' Pavilion cafe

A business consortium that includes the operators of a North Wollongong motel has topped the list of preferred lessees for the new kiosk in the North Beach Bathers' Pavilion.The tender, from husband and wife team Mario and Gabrielle Fraticelli, who run the Beach Park Motor Inn, and their business partners Massimiliano Borsato and Lorendana Mercuri, beat an offer from operators of celebrated Wollongong restaurant Caveau.The Mercury understands Mr Borsato, who goes by the name Max, is a Sydney-based chef, and Ms Mercuri is general manager of Accor's Novotel and Ibis hotels at Darling Harbour.Neither Mr Borsato nor Ms Mercuri could be reached yesterday to confirm the information, and Mrs Fraticelli declined to comment.A report to Wollongong councillors recommends the consortium be allowed to lease the site and set up a kiosk/cafe for $161,000 per year.Council staff have also recommended the councillors endorse the group's request for a doubling of the originally advertised length of lease from 10 to 20 years and an extension of the rent-free period from two to three months.The group has also requested a Tuesday-to-Sunday opening for the cafe for breakfast and lunch, and dinner on Friday and Saturdays.Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery said getting the right tenant for the site was important."It's one of those things where the business model applied to the site will have to be suited to customers and adapted if necessary," he said."Where the direction of the kiosk is taken and what market it serves is up to the successful tenderer."Expressions of interest to lease the kiosk site were announced last year, with five groups invited to lodge a tender in November.Two parties, The Coffee Club and Connies Cliff Road Cafe, pulled out of the race, leaving Caveau, the consortium and another company, Sydney-based P Pio Investments Pty Ltd, to submit tender documents.The kiosk will take up the southern end of the bathers' pavilion, where refurbishments have cost $8 million.The city councillors will decide whether to back the recommendation at Monday's council meeting.Councillor Bradbery said it was hoped the pavilion would be open by the middle of this year.