Kirra instinct: Point Precinct to welcome two incredible venues in November
Blissful sun-drenched summer days are so close we can practically taste the frosé. Perfectly timed to coincide with peak sipping season, KTO Group has today unveiled the first stage of its highly-anticipated Kirra Point Precinct, which will include two distinctly different – yet equally exciting – hospitality destinations. The project will usher in a new chapter for the iconic long-standing Kirra Beach Hotel as well as debut a spectacular new offering, Kirra Beach House. Here’s everything we know so far …
There’s something special about Kirra. You feel it the moment you arrive and sink your toes into the sand. Etched in salty memories as the backdrop for sun-soaked days and summer vacays, it’s little wonder why the coastal suburb has become seriously hot property in recent years.
Coming to life by year’s end is Kirra Point Precinct, which is being undertaken by KTQ Group, led by owner and visionary, Peggy Flannery, who has spent more than a decade bringing the vision for Kirra Point to life in partnership with architect Mark Damant from Little Boat Projects.
Stage one of the ambitious development includes the sold out ‘Miles’ residential tower, which contains 116 luxury apartments, alongside two uniquely different hospitality venues – Kirra Beach Hotel and Kirra Beach House. While the former is a southern Gold Coast institution, Kirra Beach House promises to be a destination venue unlike anything we’ve seen before.
Quenching post-surf thirsts since 1956, Kirra Beach Hotel is an icon. The new-look Hotel is set to reopen on November 8, with a nod to its past, promising to deliver a friendly local-centric watering hole. Publican Greg ‘Hodgy’ Hodge, who was running the Kirra Beach Hotel for eight years prior to its demolition in 2021, is excited to be back doing what he loves, with many of the core staff also returning.
“The pub has been here for seventy-odd years. The local community already knows and loves it, and the core values haven’t changed,” he says. “We want the Kirra Beach Hotel to be more than just a pub for our guests and a place where anyone is welcome. It’s a second home, a place where you can relax and be on a first name basis with our staff, a place where you can pop in after a surf and grab a bite to eat, and perch up with a beer in hand and watch the waves roll in.”
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Kirra Beach Hotel has always been and will continue to be the kind of establishment you can stroll in straight from the sand. “We will always keep a tub of thongs behind the bar for you, if you haven’t got shoes,” Greg adds.
Occupying the high-profile corner site on Marine Parade and Miles Street, the 1300-sqm venue will feature an expansive beer garden positioned directly across the road from the surf, a family-friendly bistro, kids area, public bar, sports bar with large-screen TVs, and a boutique bottle shop stocked with all the local faves.
There will also be 130 parking spaces in a new underground car park. The space has been designed to lean in to Kirra’s laidback beach lifestyle with soaring five-metre ceilings and wide-open windows that will create a breezy coastal-casual vibe. The revamped menu is set to showcase a bounty of local produce and feature a blend of pub favourites, lighter bites and vibrant and tasty share plates.
On the second level will be Kirra Beach House, which is expected to open mid-November. Sprawling 1200-sqm, the elevated beachfront dining, drinking and event destination will feature unobstructed views of the ocean. The venue will be operated by hospitality entrepreneur Dave Galvin from SITE Hospitality, who is also behind Broadbeach beauty kōst, Southport’s vibey Mozza Mozza, Crafty’s Sports Bar and chook nook Bird Royale.
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Dave has spent four years developing the concept for Kirra Beach House, which is described as his ‘dream venue’. Diners can expect a stylish yet quietly understated ode to coastal living and will feature a mix of indoor and outdoor spaces, wine and cocktail bars and high-end event spaces. “It was important for us to ensure it embodied the Kirra lifestyle. We wanted to create something that was elevated yet approachable and effortless, evoking the idyllic feeling of a relaxed beachside oasis. An environment where you can feel like you are worlds away yet it’s still convenient,” Dave says.
The impressive space will be framed by an expansive terrace that will wrap around the whole venue alongside three bars – a wine bar, terrace cocktail bar and Preston’s, an intimate cocktail bar that can also be booked out for events. “It will have a beach club atmosphere about it, with great music, mesmerising panoramic views of Kirra, Mediterranean-style food using the incredible local produce we have on our doorstep, a world-class drinks list and, of course, great service,” Dave added.
Executive chef Sebbie Kenyon, who also helms the kitchen at kōst, has curated a flavour-packed Mediterranean-style grazing menu that contains a mixture of classic and inventive snacks, raw and cooked seafood platters, flatbreads and pizzas straight from the wood fire clay oven, succulent steaks and signature burgers. The fare will be matched by a coastal-inspired wine and cocktail list – think holiday-inspired cocktails, house-made spritz and easy-drinking Australian wines.
Future stages of Kirra Point Precinct include a second residential apartment tower, a boutique hotel and laneway retail precinct, which will include a lively village square, selected boutique retailers and artisans, a fresh food marketplace, delicatessen, florist, bakery, gelateria, more food and beverage offerings and a dedicated fitness, wellness and recovery facility.
Peggy Flannery and KTQ Group says “We have taken great pride and care in designing a precinct that will have a warm and welcoming seaside village atmosphere that will enrich the community long term and help it to thrive, creating a way of life that welcomes everyone to be part of it and a space that creates lasting moments that stay with you forever.”
We’ll bring you a closer look at Kirra Beach Hotel and Kirra Beach House in November.
Artist impressions supplied.
