Gold Coast Airport in Australia has opened the Beach Shack Bar & Grill restaurant in the domestic departure lounge at the front of the terminal.
Beach Shack Bar & Grill restaurant
The restaurant is celebrating its grand opening by hosting ‘Sunset Sessions’ for the next two Thursday and Friday nights, including live music, drink specials and two-for-one tacos.
Gold Coast Airport’s A$17m refurbishment project
The restaurant forms part of the terminal’s A$17m ongoing transformation. This transformation project includes the refurbishment of the old international area within the existing terminal. This refurbishment became necessary when the A$260m terminal expansion project was completed in 2022 and international services were shifted into the southern end of the terminal.
Upgrades planned for this A$17m ongoing transformation project include new flooring, improved wayfinding, 70 additional flight information display boards, more than 300 additional seats and 19 new retail, food and beverage (F&B) outlets with a further six to open in 2024.
New food, beverage and retail outlets include Heinemann, The Sand Bar, Amcal Express, Schnitz, Merlo Coffee, Social Espresso, WH Smith, Artisan Kitchen & Bakery and Paradox Coffee Roasters. Six additional stores are still being fit out – with all upgrades due to be completed by the end of October 2024.
Further refurbishment works will continue in phases over the coming weeks, including the replacement of flooring in the northern end of the terminal and the installation of additional flight information display screens (FIDS).
Marion Charlton, chief operating officer (COO) of Queensland Airports, said the latest upgrades are starting to bring the existing terminal in line with the international terminal.
“Over the past four years Gold Coast Airport has undergone the largest transformation in its history and these latest works are a continuation of that, with even more upgrades to come,” she said. “The area we’ve just opened used to be international screening and departures – by shifting those services to the southern end of the terminal we’ve been able to expand the domestic departure lounge, adding new retailers and food options and more than 300 additional seats.
“It’s great we’ve been able to open this new area just in time for one of our peak periods, during the Queensland school holidays – when we’re expecting more than 300,000 passengers to travel through Gold Coast Airport. We’ve also been able to make accessibility enhancements, including the addition of a new Changing Places facility airside to support travelers with a disability, and their families and carers,” she said.
In related news, Gold Coast Airport recently unveiled its 2024 preliminary draft masterplan, which includes plans to deliver a future-focused precinct with the addition of a retail village, health and wellness hub and conference and technology center. Click here to read the full story.
