Plans for Rooftop on Broadway. Photo / Scentre Group
Plans for Rooftop on Broadway. Photo / Scentre Group
The next unveiling of the $790 million Westfield Newmarket is next week, when 20 new shops open, followed a week later by the new alfresco rooftop dining terrace.
A statement from owner Scentre Group said that next Thursday, fashion shops opening in the first stages of the unveiling of the new 277 Broadway site on level two would be Sass & Bide, Merchant 1948, Husk, Cue, Gorman, Scarpa, Tigerlily, Swarovski, Aje, Walker & Hall, and Rodd & Gunn. The Athlete's Foot and Bed Bath n' Table are also opening.
Yesterday, Platypus, Torpedo 7 and Noel Leeming opened their new outlets at the seven-level centre with 2770 carparks, free for the first two hours.
Also on level three of the new 277 Broadway, a number of new convenience food outlets are opening: KFC, Mi & Chi, Mad Mex, Zeta Greek, Eat Indian, O & Bowl, Daruma Ramen, Tank Juice, Selera, Poke House and The Carvery.
Next Thursday, the air bridge linking the two-block project opens, allowing upper-level access from shops opened late last month at 309 Broadway to the refurbished and vastly expanded 277 Broadway on the other side of Mortimer Pass.
That site at 277 Broadway will have Auckland's first David Jones department store, built at the Gillies Ave end or city end of the project.
Westfield Newmarket where further outlets are about to open. Photo / Jason Oxenham
On Thursday, October 10, a new rooftop dining precinct opens. That is an indoor/outdoor area with city views, to be called Rooftop on Broadway with high-end restaurants, many by well-known and established restaurateurs.
The alfresco dining floor will be able to accommodate about 415 people, including more than 220 diners on its terrace. All that is aiming to lift the shopping centre experience beyond more traditional convenience-style food courts, retaining customers within the centre for longer.
Archie Brothers has opened in Newmarket. Photo / supplied
Movies, entertainment-style bars and restaurants are part of the offering, which Scentre says makes its property different to all others, allowing it to claim it has created what it calls a "living centre".
That is because in many cases, people don't buy goods at the property but experiences, Scentre says.
Nic Watt and culinary director Darren Johnson are opening their new-concept Peruvian-style restaurant Inca. Watt and Johnson worked together at restaurants Nobu and Roka in London, Huka Lodge, Tokyo's Park Hyatt Hotel as well as at MASU in SkyCity Entertainment Group's Auckland property in the CBD.
White + Wong's and Sardine Cocktail Bar plans to bring street food from Hong Kong, China, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia with a re-imagined twist of east meets west. A company statement said: "Good Group, the team behind popular eateries such as Harbourside Ocean Bar Grill and Botswana Butchery, will be opening their third White + Wong's restaurant, with the help of Fitout Collaborative, in early October 2019."
White + Wong's in Auckland's Viaduct Harbour. Photo / Guy Coombes
Bodrum Market will also open at Rooftop on Broadway, promising to bring "the elevation of the Mediterranean experience with a global twist, providing multiple cuisine offerings under one roof, just like the traditional food markets of the Med. The restaurant's atmosphere will transport you to the shores of Bodrum and beyond."
Other new restaurants opening on October 10 will be Something & Social, New Zealand's first The Bavarian, Corner Burger, Island Gelato, Ippudo Ramen and New York Grill.
On August 29, ASX-listed Scentre Group opened the first 40 shops at 309 Broadway, while it was finishing shops at 277 Broadway, the original centre which once had the main pedestrian entrance on the Broadway/Morrow St corner.
Earlier this week, Swedish retailer H&M announced it would be opening its fourth Auckland store on December 12 in Westfield Newmarket, with the fast-fashion giant seeking 50 staff.
The circus-themed arcade bar, Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq, is drawing clients. The Australian company Funlab, behind Auckland's mini-golf bar Holey Moley, has brought an all-immersive hub of "kidult" fun to Aucklanders with a tricked-up cocktail bar built to resemble a vintage carousel. Dodgems, carousels, bowling, mini-rides and arcade games are also being offered there.
Opening dates for David Jones and Event Cinemas not yet out. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Opening dates are yet to be announced for many other outlets including David Jones, Countdown and the new Event Cinema multiplex at the motorway end of the site.
Greg Miles, Scentre Group chief operating officer, predicted October would be a busy month at what his company calls a living centre. Newmarket's transformation was underway and new and unique experiences would be delivered in the food and fashion sectors next month, Miles said.
Rooftop on Broadway would be a clear demonstration of what would set the centre apart from others and make it a living centre, he said, predicting the area would be a place for people to gather and socialise in the day and evenings.
Scentre's property spans two blocks, except for the historic gothic Highwic residential property which sits on the corner of Gillies Ave and Mortimer Pass.
WESTFIELD NEWMARKET UNFOLDING
• August 29: first 40 shops opened at 309 Broadway • Next Thursday, October 3: 20 fashion and food shops opening • Airbridge linking 277 Broadway to 309 Broadway opens then too • Following Thursday, October 10: Rooftop dining precinct opens • Before Christmas: all 230 shops due to be trading
