Major facelift for hospital kiosk

16 August 2010

Patients, staff and visitors to The Maitland Hospital will soon notice a big difference to the hospital kiosk.

Work has started on a complete redevelopment of the old kiosk area on the hospital’s ground floor.

New operator Shannon Degan said the end result of the first phase of the staged redevelopment will be a new-look café offering a wider range of food and with extended trading hours.

“Our customers told us they wanted something that was contemporary in appearance, something that looked as though it might belong in a shopping centre,” said Shannon who took over the kiosk’s lease in late 2009.

“When the refurbishment is completed we will have a much bigger kitchen with hot and cold displays that will allow us to offer a much broader range of food and products, and people will be able to sit and eat or chat in more comfortable surrounds.”

The café will continue to trade as usual during the building works, although there will be operational changes that need to be made at various stages of the building program, Shannon said.

The Maitland Hospital’s Acting General Manager Karen Kelly welcomed the refit, saying it would add greatly to the service and convenience provided for visitors and staff, as well as some patients.

“The current kiosk was built around the 1970s and has been in need of a major upgrade for some time.  Everyone is looking forward to having a new-look café on site,” she said.

“It is the latest of a number of changes we have made to improve the amenity and convenience for everyone using the hospital.”

An automatic teller machine (ATM) has been installed in the main entrance corridor and new public toilets, including a baby change room, have opened, also off the main corridor.

The first phase of the kiosk refurbishment is expected to take between four and six weeks to complete.

An adjacent convenience outlet and outdoor seating and dining area are planned for later stages of the project.

Contact: Frances Holz

Phone: 4939 2216