Although we may expect to sit down in a restaurant and expect to order an alchoholic drink before and during our meal, is it always necessary to consume alchohol every time you eat out? Is it possible to enjoy your lunch or dinner with water or a fruit juice, or perhaps even a non-alchoholic cocktail? Let us consider those people or families that would prefer to avoid establishments that serve alchohol and still enjoy an evening out. Perhaps someone is trying to give up the drinking habit and would prefer not to be tempted; then other families want to keep their teens away from alchohol whilst they don't have parental supervision. There are many reasons why a person or family would want to avoid an alchohol-serving environment and still enjoy themselves, and such places are fortunately available in Avondale.

For those who want to enjoy alchohol-free dining, Avondale Shopping Centre is the place to go. All the restaurants there, except for St Elmo's do not serve alchohol. You may choose to enjoy a meal at Steakout, Cafe Nush, Nandos or XO an you will not be presented with a wine list or any form of alchohol on the menu. Avondale Shopping Centre deserves an applause for being a family environment instead of being a party place – and still being as much fun to visit. Sharlene Rahman, who I met enjoying the sunshine at the shopping centre, also commended on the dominance of non-alchohol serving establishments, saying it promotes safety for families, and she added: “there are no 'hooligans' around here because of that, and that is a very good thing”.

I can remember back in the day when the case was different. There was a night club at Avondale Shoppping Centre and teens were permitted to enjoy themselves in the club, and alchohol consumption was very much permitted! It was called Rosalinds and it was a very popular night spot. Now the same building operates as a SPAR grocery store. Cafe Nush was previously The Italian Bakery (or I.B. as it was popularly named by its patrons) which at night, turned into a pre-party meeting place for the young working class adults and the bar was busy with customers ordering beers, wines and various cocktails. It was not uncommon to watch a movie in the Vistaram cinema nextdoor or the 7 Arts theatra upstairs, then afterwards, enjoy drinks on the I.B. balcony with your friends. It did qualify for a fun night on the town though. But, since 2011 all this has changed, and for now, Avondale Shopping Centre has become a location where you can expect to go and enjoy fine food and entertainment, just without the booze!