Page 1575 - Week 06 - Thursday, 2 July 2020
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The other business that has been successful that I want to highlight is Herbert’s at Evatt. This has been a dream for Kristin and Eddie, as he is known online, for some time—to create a real local restaurant and bar with a vision for a cosy, friendly and delicious experience.
In early March I had the pleasure of seeing the venue as the finishing touches were being put on. The level of detail and thought put into the venue, from the light fixtures to the mural, underline the care that was put into creating the experience to match the food and the drink.
After a long time of getting things ready, going through all the necessary approvals, Kristin and Eddie were set to launch, literally days away from opening—a great deal of the Evatt community was genuinely salivating—when, you guessed it. For a dream that has always been about the experience of being inside this place, this was a huge blow. But Kristin and Eddie were determined to bring something to the Evatt community. They had a promise and they wanted to deliver, so within a few short weeks they did a huge pivot with their business model and opened as takeaway only, allowing for the Herbert’s experience to be taken home.
That was obviously a huge risk. They opened on 2 April, and I was pleased to be one of the very first to grab a cheeseburger, which has remained my go-to order. I do not think anyone will be surprised to know that they were overwhelmed with support on that first night and continue to receive the strong support from the Evatt and broader Belconnen community. Like with Café MAMÉ, it is for good reason. Not only is the food, beer and wine offering simply topnotch, it is the warmth of the welcome when you place your order and when you go in there that keeps people coming back again and again. That is not to mention the almost daily puns and alliteration that gets a red-hot go on their Facebook page.
With restrictions easing, Herbert’s was the first place I went for a sit-down meal, and they are now busy hosting regulars—or as regular as people can be after just three months of opening—and newcomers inside whilst still meeting the physical distancing rules, of course.
It is not the year any of us expected nor hoped for, and that is especially true for hospitality businesses and even more so for hospitality businesses which have just opened. I thank Herbert’s at Evatt and Café MAMÉ for being bold, and I thank the Evatt and Melba and Belconnen communities more broadly for so warmly embracing these new ventures. It is not hard to see why they have and why they will continue to do so.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
The Assembly adjourned at 6.50 pm until Thursday, 23 July 2020,
at 10 am.
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