Multiple cafes and restaurants are leading the way in breathing life back into Gosford’s CBD, with new shop fronts opening and trading hours extending into the weekend.
Baker Street Café, Bouffant Bakery, Recess and South End Social are among businesses which have made Gosford their home, after observing an influx of locals and tourists in the area.
Owner of Bouffant Bakery, Andrew Mansfield, opened the cake and coffee shop just over a month ago and was surprised to find the best times for business was on Saturday and Sunday.
“We thought it would be a lot busier throughout the week from all the workers, but we have seen a huge increase of families and locals coming in on the weekends,” Mansfield said.
“Usually there is nothing open in Gosford after two on a Sunday, so we wanted to be open for that time, and we have seen some of our busiest times between 2 and 6 pm.”
Mansfield said he also started noticing that families have been purchasing their pastries at the café and heading to the surrounding parks to sit.
“It is giving people a chance and a reason to rediscover these little spaces in Gosford,” he said.
This rise in people could be attributed to the development of surrounding infrastructure, the increase of people working from home, and the inability to travel.
Owner of Baker Street Café, known as Chef Daniel, has cooked all over the world with many notable chefs but said he chose Gosford CBD because of its growth potential.
“I decided to go after Gosford because it is up and coming, it is going to be the heart of the Central Coast,” he said.
“This is where we are going to be able to do all our business, we are going to have great coffee shops, great restaurants.”
Chef Daniel opened the mixed cuisine café/restaurant over a year ago in Baker St and despite COVID restrictions has continued to see new customers come through the door.
“This is where we are going to be able to do all our business, and we are going to have great coffee shops, great restaurants,” he said.
“A lot of people say to me that other businesses are competitors, but they are not.
“We are not about taking a piece of the pie; we are about growing the pie together.
“We want to make sure that the Central Coast and its youth don’t have to go to Sydney or Newcastle to work or study, they can do it right here in Gosford.”
Jacinta Counihan