A POPULAR ice cream shop on the Hervey Bay Esplanade expects to see a major spike in sales this week as Queensland’s top junior touch footy players look for a place to chill-out after a tough day’s action on the field.
Planet 72 Ice Creamery owner Dallas Harch told Good News Fraser Coast the Junior State Cup touch carnival usually saw a 25 per cent increase in sales compared to the normal winter holiday period.
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Mr Harch said foot traffic through the shop averaged a little over 1,000 people per day for the first week of the school break.
“For the touch carnival days, it will be at least 1,500 people per day,” he said.
Even though large stock quantities are always held during the holidays, an extra two pallets of ice cream were already on their way to Torquay this morning.
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“From Wednesday to Sunday this week about 1,200 litres of ice cream [from Planet 72 Ice Creamery] will be consumed,” Mr Harch said.
He said large-scale sporting events on the Fraser Coast are vital to local businesses.
“These events are priceless, not only in terms of the revenue they generate, but also through the exposure of what the region has to offer to tourists and what they can come back to for a holiday.
“It’s very hard to put a Dollar value on that,” Mr Harch explained.
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Mr Harch said Hervey Bay was the perfect location for such events, as competitors and their families do not have to travel too far every day to get to the sports fields.
“They also give us a chance to showcase what we have to offer as a holiday destination. Hopefully these visitors return for family holidays,” he said.
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The sentiment echoed the message from Fraser Coast Tourism and Events officials who have previously stated the region is well-situated for the Queensland drive market in that it is within easy reach of the state’s most populous areas.
If you’re on the hunt for a scoop or two of ice cream over the next few days, Planet 72 Ice Creamery on the corner of the Charlton Esplanade and Tavistock Street in Torquay has you covered.
