A popular brewery is just days away from opening its second premises on the Coast, with its director saying “everyone’s been absolutely pumped” for the move.
Based at Sugar Road in Alexandra Headland since 2015, 10 Toes is expanding to the former IGA site on the corner of Pittards, Jones and Maroochydore roads in North Buderim.
Director Rupert Hall said he was thrilled to reveal the venue would open on Thursday, November 2.
“It’s exciting to be here, it’s been a long journey getting to this point,” he said.
“The last 12 months have been a bit of a challenge but the site’s looking pretty amazing.
“I guess it’s a come one, come all opening weekend we’re focusing on more than anything.”
He said the development of the North Buderim site hadn’t been easy but he was proud to reach this point.
“There’s certainly been challenges,” he said. “With the current climate for building Australia-wide, but particularly on the Sunshine Coast, it’s been a challenge – just the availability of trades.
“But in the scheme of things I think we’ve done pretty well to have made a venue like this in under 12 months, from being sight unseen to open. It’s a pretty major milestone.”
The venue has about 250 seats plus standing room. Across the Sugar Road and North Buderim sites, the business employs about 30 people.
Mr Hall revealed the kitchen would be offering wood-fire barbecue-style food.
“The Bunker Smokehouse is operating out of our kitchen, with Jarrod (Dangley) and the team from Gympie originally,” he said.
“In terms of other offerings, there’s obviously all our beers, plus we’ve got a couple of Queensland wineries and some local Sunshine Coast distillery spirits, so there’ll be a few cocktails made combining some of those spirits with our ginger beer.”
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The former IGA closed in September last year amid increased competition from supermarket giant Coles, after it opened across Jones Road 18 months earlier.
Plans were submitted with Sunshine Coast Council in May to establish medium-impact industry in the form of a micro-brewery.
In June, Mr Hall revealed to Sunshine Coast News that the response to 10 Toes’ plans to move into The Hub shopping centre was extremely positive.
“The other businesses around in The Hub have all been completely supportive and I think they really need this sort of thing, just something to be a cornerstone revitalisation point, and I’m really confident that’s what we’re going to bring,” he said.
Since announcing the opening date on social media this week, Mr Hall said there’d been nothing but excitement from the community.
“Everyone’s been absolutely pumped and highly anticipating us opening,” he said.
“With the development application with council, we had overwhelming support for it – over 1000 letters of support and no objections – so the community locally seems to be longing for this to open and I think it’s going to be a great community space.
“Even just our post on social media this week, it’s had unprecedented likes and shares, so if that’s anything to go by I think the place is going to be swarmed next weekend.
“So come one, come all but just bear with us as we try to accommodate everyone.”
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He said bookings for the private upstairs function room would be open from December 1.
“Some of the brewing equipment is still being finalised but all of our products are being made by us coming out of our Sugar Road site so we anticipate having that up and running very soon,” he said.
“We’re going to be focusing on live music, trivia, comedy nights – having a lot of events here.
Mr Hall said there was no courtesy bus service available.
“We don’t unfortunately: taxis and Ubers and designated drivers,” he said.
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