MANAGING director of Dome Cafe Group Nigel Oakey has bought the Shamrock Hotel.
He has plans to refurbish and redevelop the site for a Dome cafe, the franchise chain of European-style cafe restaurants.
“We’re excited because often our places become really nice hubs for the community,” Mr Oakey said.
“Because the Shamrock is at the crossroads in the middle of town it’s just a really good position.”
The exterior of the building and many parts of the interior will have to be treated with sensitivity, following the guidelines in place with a heritage listing.
“The building was stripped back of its verandah and a lot of its original features, so we actually want to make the effort to bring it back to what it looked like in its glory days,” Mr Oakey said.
“We have made a foray now into many regional and smaller local communities, and I think what we see is an opportunity to make an inclusive place where all the community can meet.
“What we’ve seen is our cafe brand does far more effectively in terms of creating that inclusive community place than say a pub or a bar.”
Mr Oakey said Northam had a rich sense of history which attracted the brand to town.
“It’s a town and a community that has a very industrious, get-up-and-go past,” Mr Oakey said.
The site will be not dissimilar to the restoration of the old flour mill in Katanning which includes a Dome cafe and a ‘small inn’ of 15 to 20 rooms.
“Very much the Dome cafe in Northam will be the Dome cafe and the Dome Inn, which we hope will be a real hub for travellers, family, friends and tourists to come and stay,” Mr Oakey said.
“Our vision is very much revitalising this place on exactly the same premise on which it was founded.”
Mr Oakey said a lot of Dome cafes were licensed.
“The opportunity for someone to have a glass of wine or a beer with their meal is something we will hope to have here,” Mr Oakey said.
“But what it won’t be is a public bar style drinking house in the same way it is now.”
There will be plans to have frontage back to the Avon River, so patrons can access the cafe from both sides.
“We really want this site to take advantage of its connection to the river as well as the high street,” Mr Oakey said.
“And for one to be as accessible as the other.”
Mr Oakey said Dome Cafe Group now had to go through approval processes.
“It’s a heritage listed property, so we always work closely with the State Heritage Office on these types of projects,” Mr Oakey said.
“Those processes take the time that they take.”
Mr Oakey said the site was already a food, beverage and accommodation venue.
“It’s not dissimilar to the use we have planned for it as a hospitality venue,” Mr Oakey said.
“So it’s not like we’re changing the use from an office to a hospitality use, which certainly makes things easier from a planning perspective.
“But there still are all those processes that have to be worked through with the Shire and the State Heritage Office.”
Mr Oakey said Dome Cafe Group hoped people would be enjoying a cup of coffee and staying at the building within a couple of years.
Northam Shire president Steven Pollard said he was very encouraged by the announcement Dome is coming to Northam.
“My understanding is their intention is to return the Shamrock Hotel to some of its former glory – good quality accommodation and the Dome experience,” Cr Pollard said.
Cr Pollard said he would like to think this is a sign the Super Town growth plan is doing what it set out to achieve in relation to economic and population growth.