NEIGHBOURING Williamstown enterprises were last week recognised for their services to business in the Western Suburbs.
Sam’s Boathouse won the prestigious Best Restaurant or Cafe award at the 2006 Powercor Greater Western Business Excellence Awards, while the Williamstown Visitor Information Centre was nominated for Best Tourism Business.
The Greater Western Chamber of Commerce and Industry sponsored the awards, held at Flemington Racecourse on Wednesday evening.
Sam’s Boathouse Restaurant and Cafe owner Tony Napoli said he and partner Franca Maiorana were delighted to have won a top award at their first attempt.
“It’s huge. Apart from the advertising and the plaque and things like that, it’s something that you can share with the staff and the customers as well.”
Mr Napoli has been running Sam’s Boathouse for about four and a half years, and said the award ceremony was also a rare chance to rub shoulders with others in the industry.
“We don’t get to go out a lot so it was great to be able to have a social night.”
He said the award was a great achievement for the restaurant staff but was only the start of better things.
“We have to continue improving the restaurant and keep giving people what they expect.
“As long as there is an empty chair, we want to fill it.”
Just across Syme St from Sam’s Boathouse is the Williamstown Visitor Information Centre, another local business in the running for an award.
Hobsons Bay City Council took over the centre 18 months ago, and spokeswoman Janet Dawes said that while it was disappointing the centre had not taken out the Best Tourism Business award – that distinction went to Mt Atkinson Olive Grove – the nomination was a great reward for the volunteers who keep the centre running.
“The volunteers are just really passionate about Hobsons Bay,” Ms Dawes said.
“Just the fact that people can be there, in a really professional environment, talking to people about a really unique part of Melbourne and being part of a community is fantastic.
“There is a whole social network now that has sprung up between the volunteers.”
Ms Dawes said that since the council had been running the centre and secured accreditation, the volunteer workload had risen dramatically.
But she said the volunteers had absorbed the pressure and continued to make the centre a successful venture that people enjoyed visiting.
