The Precinct at Alberton (Formerly The Port Club)

[thePR1NCE]

This is similar to the setup at gliderol. I had a meal there a few months back and it was absolutely packed with families and kids. The kids were out on the oval with the lights on.

Yes, I got down there on a Friday afternoon last year and it was packed.
The kids were doing Auskick as the Mums enjoyed their Sav Blancs. The return on investment for them would be quite high...

 

[Janus]

I didn't think the pub classics had ever actually disappeared?

I know it's more complicated than that, but that would surprise the hell out of me.

I think what was happening was that when they introduced the additional items to the menu, they expected to generate more traffic and income through that traffic. But what happened was that the regular customers, who just wanted their pub classic meals, were used to certain service times and, as stated, those meals outsold the novelty items 10:1. Now, if you know how a commercial kitchen works, it's very hard to justify pulling someone off the line who is in the middle of making 10 chicken parmigiana and get them to make a novelty burger - which is why the wait times for the novelty items were so high.

So the whole thing was basically doomed from the start because the reality is, the club isn't in a central enough location to justify people specifically going there to eat. That's why Football Park failed. I'm sure if the club ever had the resources in the future to open up a meeting place in the city, they would have a better shot at introducing novelty items because the clientele base is there. But as it is now - as long as the quality of the food is first class, the menu is pretty much servicing the customer base which is the region of Port Adelaide. And that's all it needs to do.

 

[Portology]

Hi Zakk,

I'll be able to give some clarity on this later in the season. We have discussed the opportunities for kids entertainment etc but our capital expenditure list is still very long. Personally, I'd love to see the Quinn stand rejuvenated and modify the front rows so we could enable natural light into the club with opening cafe doors and a game day village set up the whole length of the stand to the boundary. The kids would be able to run around on the oval after school whilst parents enjoy the outdoor area plus we would have the added bonus of our members watching the Power and Magpies train while enjoying a meal/beverage. it would transform the Port Club into one hell of a venue and Magpies match days would be monumental.

I've always thought that the downstairs "club" faces the bloody wrong way, out towards the street with no connection to the actual football oval. And with the evil necessity of a pokies area and with the shop where they are there's no connection to streetscape either. The place may as well be a basement.

Never knew why that wasn't fixed with the original redevelopment back, what nearly 20 years ago and I'm surprised the question doesn't come up more often. One part budget and one part default council height restrictions I guess, but that's if you razed the lot and started again. Just sacrificing a few rows at the bottom of the stand to open up/light up would allow the complete re-imagining of downstairs without a Burj Khalifa budget.

 

[simba_]

I've now got no reason at this point to go to the club when I can go elsewhere for cheaper food and a newer environment.

so if the crows restaurant had cheaper dishes would you go there?? cos it's sure as hell a newer environment, and if you have no reason to go to our club outside the '1870 Steakhouse' menu...

 

[Doctor Feel]

so if the crows restaurant had cheaper dishes would you go there?? cos it's sure as hell a newer environment, and if you have no reason to go to our club outside the '1870 Steakhouse' menu...

Lol.

 

[simba_]

idk i just can't believe you even brought up the carpet lol, i've never looked down at the carpet, blinded by all the trophies everywhere i guess!!

 

[Steve Dore]

idk i just can't believe you even brought up the carpet .......

Teppichfresser

 

[powermacs]

Bring back the carpet with the magpies emblems on it.

 

[Doctor Feel]

Let us cast off this carpet, and become carpetless.

 

[PepeSilvia]

I like Burger Republic.

 

[Zakk Wylde]

Let us cast off this carpet, and become carpetless.

Polished concrete ftw

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

I've always thought that the downstairs "club" faces the bloody wrong way, out towards the street with no connection to the actual football oval. And with the evil necessity of a pokies area and with the shop where they are there's no connection to streetscape either. The place may as well be a basement.

Never knew why that wasn't fixed with the original redevelopment back, what nearly 20 years ago and I'm surprised the question doesn't come up more often. One part budget and one part default council height restrictions I guess, but that's if you razed the lot and started again. Just sacrificing a few rows at the bottom of the stand to open up/light up would allow the complete re-imagining of downstairs without a Burj Khalifa budget.

The Port Club was built under a grandstand 45 years ago. The club back then was never going to built it so you have a 10 foot high area that looks out to the ground and you climb up those 10 feet to a seat that sits above the bar area. the redevelopments that started 20 years ago was about upgrading what we had, not tearing it down and restarting.

 

[Changaneen]

Personally I'm not bothered about what meals you can or can't have. When I'm in Adelaide I'll eat at least once due to being able to have a club room to visit, have a beer and a feed. I feel privileged to be able to sit in a place all my heroes as a kid have graced. I mean Greg Phillips poured me a beer. You couldn't whipe the smile off my face. I'm sure there's another mob in town that don't have that luxury. Give me a parmi and a cold beer and the history around the place makes it taste ten times better. If I want crayfish ala creamy something or other, I'll save up for a year and fly to Sydney.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

The Steakhouse was great quality but if its not profitable so it couldn't stay.

If the meat prices were to mysteriously fall by 25% to 33% and stay that way for a few months it would be great if during the footy season, there was a Steakhouse month when we all knew it was on for 4 weeks. So those of us who miss it, made a specific effort to get there in that 4 week period, hopefully there would be 3 Maggies game on during the month to drive a bit of extra traffic, and those who wanted basic pub meals knew that maybe that wasnt the month to go to The Port Club, and that The Prince was a better option during that month.

 

[Macca19]

Maybe they could do a steakhouse night once a month.

It is hard with beef prices the way they are though.

 

[bigyin357]

Hi Bomber,

1) Definitely bring down the Families, we have a kids menu selection and we are a family club and a bit of sand is nothing the vacuum cleaner can't handle.

2) it is a point of difference and can be a great way to show the kids PAFC's own club which is full of memorabilia displaying many of our Clubs great achievements. The kids can also bring a footy and have a kick in the hallowed turf of Alberton Oval.

THIS.

This is the clubs selling point. This is the Port Clubs brand.

There are countless places in Adelaide, with in spitting distance of the club even, were you can get some fancy schmancy meal and a craft beer with a clever name.

But there is only one place in the world you can take the kids to see all that history, only one place where the kids can kick the footy through the big posts at the Timmy Evans end to run off some steam before or after dinner, tell em to take their footy cards with them cause you never know who might be around the place. Talking footy, players uncut etc, the raffles and meat trays, these may seem old fashioned and 'uncool' but they are something only the Port Club can provide and hark back to the feel of a family oriented community club.

Its not rocket science. Why try and make it something it isn't.

Get a half decent salad and veg bar, ice cream for the kids, and have specials under the 20 dollar mark.
It won't be a gold mine and it wont win any michelin stars, but it will attract the members and families, and it will be profitable.

 

[Enviable Tradition]

You know what would be really cool would be a few more interactive things for the kids.

Some things are cheap like a billboard of tredders holding up the cup that they can stick their head through for a pic with the team

But something like an interactive display where you could kick for goal after the siren or sing NTUA with 53k Port fans at the Portress would be amazing.

Really get the kids dreaming of being a Port star

 

[simba_]

reminds me of the VR headset we had set up, i think we gave it to some of the media to show off on TV (360), i think it was available to try on and experience outside a gate one match day. definitely a good idea to use technology to bring kids closer to the 'internal match day experience'

 

[OneGreatClub]

You know what would be really cool would be a few more interactive things for the kids.

Some things are cheap like a billboard of tredders holding up the cup that they can stick their head through for a pic with the team

But something like an interactive display where you could kick for goal after the siren or sing NTUA with 53k Port fans at the Portress would be amazing.

Really get the kids dreaming of being a Port star

A pirate themed area would be good for kid's parties. It really is a massive shame that the downstairs area of the club has no view over our Hallowed Ground. Surely we have a donor or two, an architect and an engineer who can do some magic.

 

[Powerstufff]

.... It really is a massive shame that the downstairs area of the club has no view .....

Almost cheaper* to do that windowless plane thing, where projection screens on the wall could make it look like you were sat on the boundary.

* I actually have NFI about the costs

 

[Prison bar Pete]

Almost cheaper* to do that windowless plane thing, where projection screens on the wall could make it look like you were sat on the boundary.

* I actually have NFI about the costs

And have someone throwing footballs at you occasionally

 

[AlbertonBloke]

The problem the club faces is it's in direct competition from the Alberton hotel which has a huge menu and is always packed plus there is the prince and numerous restaurants in the port. Then semaphore road is not far and as for drinking we locals stick to our pubs that we have always drank at as everyone we know is there. It still is good to drop by the club for a feed and a few beers but we never make a huge session out of it.

 

[PAFC2004]

I've had a brief read of the recent posts here.

I don't think it is useful to compare the Port Club to nearby establishments. Such places attract a vast array of people, independent of Football allegiance.

The Port club attracts (mainly), Port Adelaide supports, and the occasional local. Therefore, it should cater to that group (us). The problem with that is we all come from different areas and have different backgrounds. The club needs to draw us, as supporters to the club regardless of distance. How they do that, I'm not sure.

They're never going to get the local non-Port crowd, and will struggle to get the non-local Port crowd.

 

[Onward To Victory]

I think that if we're serious about making the Port Club a family venue, then we should take out all the pokies and stick them at the Prince of Wales. That way you could make a clear distinction between the two - gaming venue vs community/family-friendly venue. If done properly, there should be no financial detriment to PAFC through lost pokie revenue and I'm sure lots of families would prefer to take their kids somewhere without all the gaming.

thePR1NCE

 

[cmpower]

I think that if we're serious about making the Port Club a family venue, then we should take out all the pokies and stick them at the Prince of Wales. That way you could make a clear distinction between the two - gaming venue vs community/family-friendly venue. If done properly, there should be no financial detriment to PAFC through lost pokie revenue and I'm sure lots of families would prefer to take their kids somewhere without all the gaming.

thePR1NCE

Where will the Nannas go