A Long Journey Leads to the Opening of the New Polish Club

From the time the Board started to look at options for their site in 2015 until now there have been many twists and turns, and ups and downs.

But Club President Richard Borysiewicz is proud of what has been achieved and is excited about the opening of the new Club this month.

“We openly engaged with our members and had countless information meetings and presentations back then. We took members on the journey with us, at times giving away too much information. But it was important to give members the facts and trust them to arrive at a sensible conclusion,” he explains.

“In March 2020, we received an 82 per cent vote from members in favour of the development. We executed the Development Management Agreement with Deicorp in April 2020; lodged the DA in June 2020; received development consent from the Sydney City East Planning Authority in February 2021, closed the Club in April 2021, commenced demolition and excavation in April 2021 and will reopen this month.” 

Despite the many setbacks, and at times what seemed impossible odds, we are now about open to something special that we and future generations will be proud of.

Richard explains that the new Polish Club is a significant milestone for the community.

“It will honour the memory of our founders who were soldiers from WWII that migrated to Australia after 1945 seeking a better life. It will be a place that the descendants of those migrants can come and be in a place that their ancestors founded. Even though they are now second and third generation Australians of Polish descent, it will be a place that they can experience Polish hospitality and culture in a place that they can be proud of and, very importantly, regardless of your ancestry, the Polish Club welcomes everyone from the local community wishing to experience Polish/European food, drink and hospitality.”

The main feature of the new development is a new and refined food and beverage offering, which includes the restaurant (Sto Lat), the private dining room (Amber Private Dining), delicatessen/cafe (Polka Deli & Cafe) and Function Centre where the Club plans to attract weddings, large events and mid-week corporate bookings.

“We see ourselves as very different to most others, with a large space allocated to an outside terrace and an inside lounge that feels more like a high-end city hotel rather than a suburban club. However, we are very true to the key elements we've had before we did this development, where we offered generous portions, good value and a warm, cozy environment,” says Richard.   

The formal opening of the new Polish Club will be celebrated with a black-tie dinner on Saturday, 23 September and a family open day on Sunday, 24 September. The guest of honour at the black-tie dinner will be NSW Premier Chris Minns.

“I'm very grateful for the support and co-operation that the Board, Advisory Group and members of the Club have showed. They believed and trusted in the vision. Despite the many setbacks, and at times what seemed impossible odds, we are now about to open something special that we and future generations will be proud of. This is your victory!”

To find out more about The Polish Club, click here.