It's smiles all around at Diner 94, a retro-style cafe bringing 1960s' charm to Hillcrest at Skate Paradise.
Roller rink dream realised S kate Paradise in Hillcrest is now the largest indoor roller skate rink in Australia that’s fully accessible, and it’s a dream come true for owner Sharon McLean. Sharon took the plunge a few years proud of her new cafe called Diner 94. The 1960s-style cafe is a tribute to Logan’s arterial State Route 94, and a nod to the famous Route 66 in the United States.
and in October, Skate Paradise hosted the Australian Inline Hockey Championships for the second year. These days Sharon, of Park Ridge, says regular skaters are attending less, with the spike in the cost of living affecting people’s abilities to afford family outings. But she keeps her prices as low as possible to make Skate Paradise an affordable and family-friendly day out. Sharon has also introduced sensory skate sessions on Tuesdays during the school term. The music and lights are turned down from 11 am to 12.30 pm and everyone is welcome.
‘One of my daughters, Jamie, does all the marketing. The other, Renae, an artistic skater herself, does most of the mid-week coaching. Courtney, who is like one of my daughters, is also my pro shop lady,’ Sharon proudly says. ‘My sister is my finance expert, and my cousin is the accounts guru.’ Now a grandmother, Sharon skated with Paul in their teens, but the family’s passion for skating blossomed after Renae attended a birthday party at Digi Skate as a child. She fell in love with it and that was the start of her artistic roller-skating career. Later, sister Jamie joined her on the rink. Back then, Sharon and her daughters spent up to 4 nights a week at Digi Skate, and the owners often asked them to lock up at night. They eventually sold the business to Sharon in early 2000. Over the years, the rink grew in popularity and became a Logan icon, with skaters coming from Ipswich, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast. In late 2024, the rink co-hosted an international seminar with well-known artistic coaches from Italy and Bolivia,
ago to expand and upgrade the business she has worked in for 25 years, 7 days a week, formerly known as Digi Skate. The 60-year-old says she and her late husband Paul always dreamt of building an accessible skate rink that people of all abilities could enjoy, that included a purpose-built elevator. When a block of land opposite Digi Skate came up for sale 12 years ago, the couple snapped it up. But it wasn’t until after Paul’s sudden death 6 years ago, and the COVID-19 pandemic, that Sharon decided to build the dream venue. With her family working tirelessly in the business alongside her, Sharon made it a reality. 'I imported an Olympic-sized hockey rink from Canada – the only one like it in Australia – for all the hockey teams that visit, but also to make Skate Paradise the best facility it can be,’ Sharon says. The venue has a skate shop, upstairs bar, areas for parties and gatherings and plenty of seating. Sharon’s most
There's plenty of room for everyone at Australia's largest indoor roller skate rink.
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