The Acres Club has recently completed additional renovations, transforming its outdoor space to better accommodate young families.
The updated area now includes a newly installed deck and extensive weatherproofing to encourage year-round use.
According to David Hills, general manager of venues at The Acres Club, these improvements were driven by the club’s commitment to creating family-friendly environments.
“Designing areas for families to enjoy that were low maintenance and catered for all age groups was also a priority,” he said.
“The club now has areas for two- to five-year-olds and six- to 14-year-olds to enjoy with their families. Seating areas are welcoming and comfortable, with modern amenities that rival the best outdoor spaces in the area.”
These latest upgrades follow a history of strategic changes at The Acres, which has grown in popularity since its amalgamation with Bankstown Sports Club in 2016. Previously known as the Greenacre Bowling and Recreation Club, the venue quickly gained a reputation within the local western Sydney community for its food and beverage offerings.
To keep up with demand, the club introduced Mike’s Grill in 2023, replacing its former bistro, The Acres Kitchen, along with the La Piazza Pizza kitchen. Hills noted that merging with Bankstown Sports led to a surge in popularity, but it soon became clear that the indoor facilities and older kitchen would struggle to meet the rising demand.
“In a short time, it was evident that the indoor space and older kitchen would struggle to cope with the increasing demand for bistro style meals,” he said.
“Built in the 1960s, the kitchen had fallen behind and lacked efficiencies in design that modern kitchens offered. Impacting service, costs and the ability to keep up with competitors the time to invest was now.”
In response, The Acres Club completed a small outdoor renovation in 2018, expanding the area of the Western awning and adding seating for 120 people. The space quickly became a hit with families during the summer, but it faced challenges during unpredictable weather due to limited protection from the elements.
“The area was designed to be family friendly where kids could play. This change was popular with residents during summer months. However, over time the spaces proved difficult to manage due to minimal weather proofing. This led to booking cancellations and areas being closed in bad weather.
“Based on this information the decision to improve the outdoor spaces by installing a deck and weatherproofing the area to encourage year-round use was made.”
