Penrith is open for business

Businesses, small and large, look forward to a prosperous summer as they emerge from a long winter of lockdown.

The month of October has seen many businesses reopen their doors for the first time in over three months. From hair and beauty to retail and entertainment, the boost in economic activity is welcome after months of hibernation.

With travel between regional and metropolitan Sydney set to recommence from next week, Penrith’s visitor economy will benefit from the arrival of visitors from around the state.

Penrith is well-positioned as the closest metropolitan city to the state’s west, providing regional residents with the opportunity to access Penrith’s significant retail, entertainment, and service offering once again. High vaccination rates among residents* can also provide visitors with confidence in Penrith as a low-risk destination.

COVID restrictions haven’t stopped astute hospitality operators from continuing the growth in Penrith’s food and beverage scene. The past few months have seen a host of new entrants into the market, including Theo’s Rooftop Bar, and Italian Street Kitchen.

The international burger brand Five Guys launched its first Australian store in Penrith last month. In an interview earlier this year, Robby Andronikos, Five Guys Brand Operations Manager, highlighted Penrith’s status as a hub of Western Sydney as one of the reasons they chose it as the location for their first store.

"The local area has higher-than-average population growth annually across the last decade, with infrastructure investment such as a new airport being built to cater to this growth,” Mr Andronikos said.

The hospitality industry will make the most of changes from next week that remove group booking limits, as well as benefiting from Council continuing to offer fee relief for outdoor dining. Council has extended outdoor dining fee relief until 30 June 2022 to continue supporting the business community during this reopening period.

Council is encouraging permit holders to expand their outdoor dining areas, with written permission required from neighbouring businesses. These approvals will be free and fast-tracked in a bid to help reactivate the centres. For more information, businesses can email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit Council’s website at penrith.city/outdoordining.

Council's Penrith Proud business campaign and directory will continue to support local businesses as they reopen. The campaign allows residents to find local businesses for their needs through the directory and promotes the fantastic array of businesses available in Penrith through a dedicated website.

Having focused on takeaway and online purchasing during lockdown, Penrith Proud will shine a light on some on the recently reopened businesses and encourage locals to shop locally this coming holiday season.

The Penrith Proud business directory is completely free for businesses to join. To find out more, and to sign up your business, visit penrithproud.com.au

*Over 94% of the Penrith population aged 16+ have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccination, with 88% fully vaccinated (Source Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, correct at 25th October 2021)

Image: Sip n Dip Cafe St Marys