Wollongong bars and music venues revived with alfresco dining, free music

Nathan Stratton of La La La's said Wollongong City Council had "stepped up" and were enabling the city's hospitality sector to thrive again while also reviving lonely streets and laneways.

Fees were eventually waived for businesses wanting to utilise outdoor dining with 30 venues approved in the past six months alone for businesses in the CBD, Keiraville, Thirroul, Bulli and Austinmer. Twenty of those were new ventures while the rest either were renewing or expanding their outdoor footprint.

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What was once a "cool desire" has now become a necessity, Mr Stratton said, noting the pandemic had highlighted the need for alfresco areas to keep people distanced, safe and so venues could trade with more capacity during tight restrictions.

"It's proven where there's people it provides an atmosphere people want to congregate towards, it feels safe when there's people about and there's movement," he said. "When there's nobody around and its dark and cold and windy it's not a safe space to be walking around."

He also said the mall doesn't need as much "policing" when there's an abundance of people - including families and grandparents about - which "naturally regulates poor behaviour".

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The Bevanda Bar opened next door to La La La's in January was one of the new businesses who applied for use of alfresco. The owner (who wished not to be named) said it helped customers feel safer with the option to have a cocktail inside or outside.

"It's just patrons security, people feel safer being able to sit outside," he said.

Currently fees for al fresco dining have been waived until the end of June, but Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery said they were looking at ways to help create more outdoor dining precincts around the city to meet the demand.

He said one option they're exploring was to ease the cost on purchasing outdoor furniture, if council were successful in obtaining a state government grant.

"Outdoor dining can be expensive, especially for smaller businesses which can't as easily redirect money to new initiatives," Cr Bradbery said."We're looking at ways Council might invest in this sort of infrastructure that we can share between businesses."

Live music and other creative opportunities would be explored, the mayor said, after the success of the recent Lovers Lane free music festival in Globe Lane and weekly DJs putting music in the air throughout February weekends.

When Mr Stratton opened La La La's in 2019 he had a vision for the lane of becoming being "a late night entertainment precinct".

He said there's still plenty to be done to enrich the space but his vision is slowly being realised.

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