A WELL KNOWN Airlie Beach business has been sold, marking the end of 20 years of history, stories and memories.
Fish D’Vine restaurant will close on August 4, following the sale of the seafood restaurant, on the Airlie Esplanade, to the operators of the Airlie Beach Hotel.
Having started Fish D’Vine as a simple fish café in the Beach Plaza, in 2004, owners Kev Collins and Rebecca Clark, along with Rebecca’s partner Mark (aka Dr Rum) have presided over three different Airlie Beach venues.
They have also seen a period of growth, opening venues in Mackay and Cairns, before restructuring their business during the Global Financial Crisis to focus on Airlie Beach and grow a catering division, which ultimately lays claim to the famed White on Whitehaven long lunch.
“Our catering division will continue to thrive,” co-owner Kev Collins said.
Many weddings, special celebrations, catering events, corporate functions and opportunities will now be the focus of the Fish D’Vine management team into the coming months and years.
“We are currently negotiating to open a standalone functions/weddings venue, which will also allow the occasional cameo ‘pop-up’, for those who still need a Fish D’Vine ‘fix’,” Kevin said.
“We will be heavily focusing our skills, marketing knowledge and ultimately our hard earned reputation on local catering, Whitehaven Beach events and potentially pop-up style restaurant and bar operations.”
Rebecca also is hoping to continue her popular ‘Food Junkie’ cooking classes and Mark may experiment with his Rum journeys so, while Fish D’Vine will cease as a seven-day-a-week restaurant fixture, it will still have an ongoing role to play in the Airlie Beach and wider Whitsunday hospitality scene.
“This is a time to re-evaluate the industry, reset priorities and hopefully do what we have been doing for the last 20 years.
“Bringing the best of local produce to the table and providing guests with genuine and authentic hospitality and, if we can do this with weddings, with functions, on superyachts and on Whitehaven, then that will be awesome.”
While not sure what Airlie Beach Hotel has in store for the space, Kevin is sure it will further enhance the foreshore hospitality precinct.
“By any measure, what has been done by Mick and his team to rejuvenate The Esplanade has been a large part of the improved perception, both nationally and internationally, of Airlie Beach as a premium tourism venue,” Kevin said.
During the settlement period and liquor license transfer, the restaurant will be revisiting its past with retro menu and cocktail favourites and even a few cameo appearances with some of their long-term staff coming back to work the last week.
“We hope to see Phil and Lucy back on the door and a few old faces behind the Rum Bar and maybe even getting back in the kitchen myself to relive 20 wonderful years of making people happy with food and service and see lots of our regulars for a last Fishy D experience,” Kevin said.
“It’s not the end, but a celebration of 20 years in the community as a restaurant which has hosted so many guests and been part of so many celebrations and we hope the town parties with us during our final weeks.
“Twenty years in a restaurant business is a long time, most particularly in a town like Airlie, which has seen so many venues open and close over that time, it has given us great pride to have persevered and prospered, building a loyal local base, cementing relationships with great local suppliers and, very importantly, training many outstanding young apprentice chefs as well as front-of-house staff.”
Locals and visitors have just over two weeks to have a final experience of this iconic venue before it shuts and no doubt many a story will be told over a fine rum, a cocktail or two and 20 years of local history.
After service finishes it will be a serious party night to see out Australia’s original rum bar in the style it so deserves.
