A sauna could be the next item on the menu at City Beach’s popular Clancy’s Fish Bar, according to a new development put to the Cambridge council on Tuesday.
Clancy’s and homegrown Alchemy Saunas want to team up to install a sauna in the kiosk area beneath the beachfront restaurant, which is currently vacant.
It follows an increasing demand for saunas across Perth’s coastal areas due to a popular therapeutic trend called “contrast therapy”, in which beachgoers shock the body with a cool splash in the ocean after a steamy session in the sauna.
This form of hydrotherapy, which involves alternating between hot and cold immersion, is thought to have a direct and positive impact on cardiovascular function and is often used by athletes to treat muscle injuries and speed up post-workout recovery.
Alchemy Saunas is already steaming things up at five locations across WA, with two along the waterfront at Port Beach in North Fremantle and Point Walter Reserve in Melville. It also had a now-closed venue fronting Busselton Beach.
This City Beach proposal and another at Scarborough are listed as “coming soon” on their website.
Saunas can be booked for hour-long sessions, seven days a week, with opening hours varying by location.
The WA-owned and operated brand’s saunas are usually housed in sea container-like structures, so this latest concept could open the door to other fit-outs in similar beach-facing spaces such as Cottesloe’s Indiana Teahouse.
The Cambridge council will make a decision on the proposed development at its April 23 meeting.