Perth Voice Interactive

THE sudden and totally unexpected closures of the cafes at the Fremantle Arts and Leisure Centres is an unmitigated disaster for the City of Fremantle’s competitive leasing program.

It is too simplistic to only blame operators Gavin and Penny Wilcock of GAP Kitchens for their naivety in taking them on without cafe experience. 

They were granted a lease for both premises in 2023, the Wilcocks relocating from Alice Springs to Fremantle to run their two new ventures.

Council records show they were chosen as the preferred applicants by the selection panel, and council unanimously endorsed the staff recommendation.

The public EOI started when Fremantle City staff refused to renew the lease for the Canvas cafe at the FAC for Triet and Loan, who had been successfully operating it for 11 years. 

They were told the City could not simply renew their lease and it had to go out to public tender, although the  operators had offered to renovate the cafe’s kitchen at their own expense.

And so the disaster we are having now started. 

The FAC cafe was vacant for nearly two years, but finally, in September 2023, mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge announced the arts and leisure centre cafes had been leased to the same company. 

“The chosen operator has a track-record of working with communities to create appropriate and interesting menus and I think they could be a real asset to Fremantle,” the mayor said.

“Council’s decision reinforces our desire to attract new business to Fremantle.  Gavin and Penny are making a lifestyle choice to relocate here and dedicate themselves to this new opportunity.” 

Catering

GAP had been operating a catering business in the Northern Territory for five years and Mr Wilcock had been an executive chef at the Inter Continental Hotel Group before that for 18 years. 

They opened the Freo cafes in June last year. The GAP website indicates the business is still operating in Alice Springs.

So why did the cafes in Fremantle falter?

I am active on social media, but never noticed any promotion or advertising for the cafes in the eight months they were open. 

When I was at the Fremantle Arts Centre last week an A-sign inside the courtyard advertised coffee and sandwiches and that the cafe was open to the public. Why was it inside the FAC and not outside on the street?

Fremantle council stated that they had offered the operators more support. What? Offering more financial support to a company that was already enjoying a rent-free period? 

What Fremantle City should be doing is demanding rent for the eight months GAP Kitchen leased the premises.

They signed a 10-year lease and can just walk out after the rent-free period without being penalised for it? 

Fremantle council also needs to have a good hard look at its competitive leasing program. 

Why does it let successful operators go, to make way for others who have less or no experience? 

One also has to question why that competitive leasing program does not appear to apply to cafes such as Gino’s and Moore&Moore. Why are they exempt?

Freo City stated that they are talking to cafe owners, to see if any of them is willing to run the cafes on an interim basis.

It will then again engage in an Expressions of Interest process, I assume. The big question is if any of the current staff members are qualified and competent enough to select the right applicant. 

History shows that we should be worried about that. 

The city needs to stop reinventing the wheel, stop trying to fix things that are not broken, and stop punishing successful small businesses, by forcing them out, to make way for unproven new ones, that regularly fail!

Roel Loopers/FREOVIEW