Press Release

September 3, 2009

NIGHT OWL HAS SWIFTLY NESTED AT THE BASE OF THE ROCKET

National convenience retail store chain NightOwl is poised to expand its Gold Coast presence, establishing a new outlet at The Rocket, CBD Robina’s premier corporate address.

The store will occupy a 199 square metre space in the $110 million tower’s 1800 square metre street-level retail precinct and will open for business by the start of November.

The Rocket outlet, held under a five-year lease with option, raises the number of NightOwl stores on the Gold Coast to nine and the total Australiawide to 57.

It is being established by business partners Terry Smith and Athol White who at present operate 11 NightOwl franchises stores, including those at CBD Robina’s Easy T Centre, Varsity Lakes and Burleigh Heads.

Mr Smith, who opened his first NightOwl store in Brisbane’s Carindale in 1995, said the franchise company offered a sound business model whose strengths were ongoing support and promotion of the brand, and competitive, negotiated terms with suppliers.

He said location and tenancy mix were the prime factors in choosing sites for stores and The Rocket scored top marks on both counts.

“The Rocket occupies an easy-to-access prime position at the heart of a central-city community of more than 30,000 people in a business hub that will continue to develop for another decade,” said Mr Smith.

“The tower is an outstanding building in a prime CBD Robina location close to Skilled Park stadium and Robina Train Station with additional office buildings and significant residential areas nearby.

“The Rocket itself will house a workforce of around 800 people and the NightOwl store will provide the workforce with a modern convenience shopping facility on their doorstep.”

Mr Smith said the store would operate from 5am to midnight, seven days a week and employ about 10 staff.

He said the outlet would offer a comprehensive range of grocery items and fresh produce along with hot and cold ready-to-eat food, a large selection of cold drinks, and coffee.

The store will be one of the first to open in The Rocket’s retail precinct where it will be joined by a range of outlets, including coffee houses and restaurants.

The 16-level Rocket, scheduled for completion in October, sits on 5055 square metres at 203 Robina Town Centre Drive and its 14 retail spaces are topped by 11,000 square metres of office space.

The Rocket sits beside The Wharf, two eight-level buildings sharing five ground-level commercial spaces and 73 apartments, and together they form a vibrant new lifestyle precinct beside Lake Lido.

Both developments have been undertaken by Robina Projects Australia, the company responsible for CBDRobina’s HQ @ Robina, Eastside, and Campus Alpha office buildings.

It also has developed the Easy T convenience centre, the iconic One6ixty waterside office and restaurant building and Sidewalk on Scottsdale, which features a ground-level commercial precinct topped by two levels of apartments.

RPA General Manager Hylton Slater said the company’s aim ‘has always been to create a vibrant precinct, alive in the evenings as well as the day, and the NightOwl store contributes to that objective’.

“The retail precinct is in an appealing waterfront location and the NightOwl store provides an important shopping facility,” he said.

“The precinct features clean, modern design and an alluring ambience and we are committed to seeing it realise its potential to be a popular, well-patronised destination.

“To this end, it will accommodate a range of complementary boutique businesses, including fine-dining restaurants and coffee houses with alfresco areas, and complement the corporate attributes of The Rocket, which will serve as CBDRobina’s premier business address with office spaces unsurpassed for quality.”

The Rocket’s retail spaces range from 65 square metes to 265 square metres and its office spaces range upwards from 90 square metres to whole floorplates of 790 square metres.

Businesses are served by three basement levels and street parking to accommodate 400 vehicles.

The Rocket and The Wharf’s commercial spaces are being marketed by Marcus Weld, of Robina Marketing Australia.

Mr Weld said as well as restaurants and coffee bars, businesses sought for the retail precinct included hair salon, day spa, wine bar, delicatessen, bakery and fashion and homeware outlets.

Mr Weld said NightOwl had recognised the value of The Rocket’s retail precinct, which offered convenience to passing motorists and pedestrians, including people attending sporting events at the nearby Skilled Park stadium.

“Events at the stadium are well attended and the precinct offers patrons close-at-hand venues for pre-games and post-games dining and shopping,” he said.

“Businesses also benefit from the patronage of staff in The Rocket and nearby office buildings and CBDRobina residents, while the outstanding waterfront location and ambience will undoubtedly make the precinct a popular destination for residents elsewhere in Robina and of surrounding suburbs.”