Yaye’s Café at Araluen to close tomorrow

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By ERWIN CHLANDA
 
The Department of Tourism and Culture will not comment on the reasons for the closure tomorrow of Yaye’s Café, located at the Araluen Cultural Precinct.
 
A media release today said the department has been advised by the cafe operator, Warkabout Pty Ltd, that it will cease operations, and a spokesperson would give no further details.
 
Athol Wark is one of the operators.
 
The department says it will make an “interim arrangement” and a public tender will be called inviting submissions from applicants to operate the café.
 
 
 

7 COMMENTS

  1. WOW. This is so sad. This business is amazing and the food service No.1. I hope it is not due to politics.

  2. Best Bacon and Egg sangers in town, a good business, great people and food, I hope they open up somewhere soon. I miss them already.

  3. Sad … Yaye’s was such a nice venue and offered good food.
    I can only assume negative economic outcomes are the trigger that have led to the closure of a seemingly successful cafe-restaurant attached to the best tourist attraction of our town.
    We used to have Witchetty’s at Araluen, it had to close down. We had Matilda at the Desert Park, it had to close down. Even the current cafe of the Desert Park, in full high season, cannot operate from 8.30am to 4pm as advertised and offers warmed up frozen pies and white bread sandwiches in plastic containers for lunch. Very disappointing.
    Basic accounting will tell to reduce expenses and increase revenue. Are the operators too greedy? Is the rental too high? Loaded tourist coaches seem to by-pass Araluen Arts Centre and give priority to the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
    If and when the Aboriginal Arts and Culture project eventuates, will the number of tourists to share among the many attractions increase enough to provide patronage to all cafes?
    A thorough feasibility study by the Tourism Central Australia (chaired by Ms Dale McIver who recently appeared on QandA) may provide an answer before jumping into any new venture.

  4. I heard they wanted to expand the outdoor seating area but permission was declined.
    Alice cannot afford to have a venue like this close.
    Any feedback from Araluen management?

  5. The Strehlow Research Centre used to bring some 40,000 tourists a year to the Araluen Precinct and received multiple NT and Australian tourism awards in the early to mid 90s.
    Coach companies AAT-Kings and Australia Pacific Tours regularly brought coachloads of tourists.
    Unfortunately the commitment to marketing, and ultimately the compromised product of the Strehlow exhibition being swamped by the natural history of the Museum of Central Australia killed the numbers.
    It’s not the reason Yaye’s has closed of course, but it serves to show that if the right product is developed and supported with good marketing on the precinct, the visitors will come.

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