FEATURE: BROTHERS CAIRNS

Brothers Cairns rebirth begins

BROTHERS LEAGUES CAIRNS has revealed its new Q Sports Bar, among the first of its new facilities and part of a major $7m renovation plan.

In late February, the club unveiled its refurbished second-floor function facilities after it moved a block of toilets from the Dreams function room to another location at the back of the smaller boardroom function spaces. That created an opportunity to open up the space to new northeast-facing windows bringing in more natural light into the venue.

Dreams can now cater for up to 200 guests and features an island bar and alfresco deck area. While the upstairs provides a boost for functions, it’s downstairs where the club is spending serious money on a major transformation of its food and beverage offerings, with builders Rubicon Constructions on-site working in stages since November last year.

Last month the renovated bistro was handed back to the club and construction has just been completed on the new Q Sports Bar which features dedicated seating for punters and sporting enthusiasts as well as high-definition projection screens for racing and live sports, alongside TAB, Keno and bar facilities with a separate entrance for members in Anderson St.

The next stages of the project are the gaming room, expected to open in late May, and the café with a scheduled launch in July. The gaming lounge will be expanded to allow for improved spacing between machines following the club’s success in reducing EGM numbers and improving spacing after the COVID shutdowns in 2020. Brothers Group General Manager Shane Fitzgerald said that decision just made sense.

New Q Sports Bar adds to bistro and function centre, with gaming room and café to come

“Our members took comfort from the fact that there was more space between patrons,” Shane says. “Aside from the positive perceptions this created during the pandemic, it also provided greater comfort for players and a more inviting room.

“Like many clubs, our turnover increased, despite having less machines on the floor and we’ve continued to trade strongly.”

At the centre of the downstairs renovation will be the new café Fratelli (Brothers in Italian) which will sit behind floor-to-ceiling windows on the corner of the building. The new outlet will offer all-day Mediterranean-inspired grazing options along with pizza, coffee, snacks and treats.

Inspiration for the renovations included membership profiling and surveys conducted by marketing consultants Maer Group in 2020. The results highlighted the opportunity to attract a slightly younger audience and build its female membership. That includes moving away from the old buffet concept to a new bistro format and introducing the elevated café concept.

Like many clubs, our turnover increased, despite having less machines on the floor and we’ve continued to trade strongly.

The inclusion of a separate entrance for Q Sports Bar will also help to zone the venue and meet the needs of its different target markets.

The renovations will also introduce more efficient building management systems and lower carbon footprint resulting in smaller power bills. Bigticket items include replacing the current cooling system with York chillers which feature some of the highest efficiencies in the market, along with air-handling units that prevent the over- or under-supply of cooling.

As the first big development at the club since 2014, there will be up to 150- full time jobs on-site during construction and an additional 50 staff positions upon completion. The club has been focused on hiring locally for the build in line with its focus on supporting the community it serves.

“Since 2019, Brothers Leagues Club Group has contributed more than $5m in support to local sport and community organisations,” Shane says.

Stan Williams Park $12m upgrade

A STUNNING $12m upgrade is planned for Brothers Leagues Club’s Stan Williams Park in Manunda.

Cairns Regional Council had initially agreed on a $4m Brothers planned investment into upgrading pavilion amenities in line with a state league level.

The $12m upgrade will feature improved grandstand and new storey on the existing pavilion, public bar, offices and spectator viewing areas, as well as new change rooms, gym and other sporting facilities downstairs, alongside a commercial kitchen and bar area with tables.

The main grandstand will seat 517 spectators and an upstairs undercover area will feature a further 492sqm of seated viewing.

The club has applied for federal government funding which is expected to meet half the cost, and as trustee for the site, will pay for maintenance and utilities, expected to be about $400,000pa.

Brothers Leagues Club facility on Anderson Rd is also undergoing major upgrades with new cafe and sports bar, plus a refurbished restaurant.