As part of the redevelopment of Long Reef Surf Life Saving Club, a new café is in the final stages of being built at Long Reef Beach - next to the surf club.

Earlier this year, a tender went out (RFT 2022/037) for an experienced food and beverage retailer to lease, licence, fitout and operate the café.

Between 5 April 2022 and 10 May 2022 we publicly exhibited our proposal to grant a lease to the successful tenderer to occupy part of the land to trade as a café. We received 17 submissions, mostly in support of the proposal. Many comments cited the anticipated benefits of the café to the general public.

At the meeting on 26 July 2022, Council resolved to accept the tender from Martin Arrisueno trading as The Pocket Freshwater (ABN 36820908494). The lease has been approved for five years, with an additional five year option at the lessee’s discretion.

The café is independent from the surf club and will serve both the general public as well as the surf club members.

The café is approx. 110sqm, including indoor and outdoor areas, and will be built as a 'warm shell', providing The Pocket Freshwater the opportunity to create their own concept and fitout.

The land on which the café will be located is part of Griffith Park and also known as Lot 11 DP 1193189.

Council is the Crown Land Manager of Griffith Park and the public notice was in accordance with Section 3.22 of the Crown Land Management Act 2016 and Section 47 of the Local Government Act 1993.

The café fitout is now complete, and the café opened at the end of November 2023.