Urban Village Dubbo, a restaurant complex, opened on Whylandra Street yesterday.

Developer John Nixon was confident the market was there for the concept while Dubbo mayor Allan Smith took it as a sign of the “renewal and expansion of West Dubbo”.

The suburb was once eclipsed by East Dubbo and was almost synonymous with the troubled former Gordon Estate.

On top of other changes Mr Nixon has dished up his West Dubbo food destination after more than four years of planning.

The complex currently boasts Oporto, Pizza Capers, Subway and the city’s second Rose Garden Thai Restaurant.

It has created 90 jobs, but that will increase to about 140 when all stores are leased.

Dubbo diners and travellers alike seemed ready to try it.

West Dubbo resident Eleanor Ayers did a U-turn at the roundabout, curious to see the new complex that replaced houses.

“It’s what the area needs,” she said. “You can’t complain there’s not enough places to eat.”

Real estate agent Simon Keough was happy to dine in his patch.

“The area is big enough for people not to need to go over the bridge,” he said.

He was also delighted to indulge in a Bondi burger after Dubbo’s former Oporto closed - although Mr Nixon was eager to distance himself from the Cobra Street venture of another franchisee.

“My seven-year-old will dance tonight when I tell her Oporto is back,” Mr Keough said.

Urban Village Dubbo might convince more of the north-south brigade to stop in, Mr Keough said.

It worked with Victorians Bevil and Barbara Lunson yesterday.

They saw the complex as they drove north and found it easy to access.

“Previously we stopped at the roadhouse on the corner which is closed now, this is a great new complex,” Mr Lunson said.

Mr Nixon will need his first customers’ sentiments to be repeated many times over to make his dough well-spent.

He is the franchisee of Oporto, Pizza Capers and Subway.

“I have a lot of money invested in the three shops alone, let alone the centre,” he said.

He opted for a low-key opening to allow any teething problems to be “ironed out” but was “pumped” as the first pizzas went out.

“I jumped out of bed at 5am, doing a little dance,” he said, moving his feet.

“Compared with what was here on the site, this is great for Dubbo.”

It also gave travellers somewhere to break.

“People can get their food and their fuel in this street . . . it keeps them moving on their journey,” he said.

Cr Smith had watched the development’s progress during past months.

Along with other developments it showed a continuing strength in West Dubbo, he said.

The renewal process was taking place at the service station, the Westside Hotel had a large investment that came up looking nice, the West Dubbo Bowling Club had done works over time, the new Woolworths complex was in and there was a new doctors surgery being built, Cr Smith said.

Housing would be another part of West Dubbo’s future.

In the new local environmental plan there was space for another 5000 houses in the west and southwest, Cr Smith said.

“It shows a real commitment to our city,” he said.