Fitzmaurice Street's newly opened The Press Cafe and Habibi Chicken are thriving

The Fitzmaurice Street end of Wagga's main strip has welcomed two new food joints in the last month, with the owners of both praising the area as a growing hot spot.

The Press Cafe, located just off Fitzmaurice at the street's southern end, opened last month and owner Rachel Fowler said she had been "completely overwhelmed" by the response.

"In a good way with how busy we've been," she said.

"There's obviously an appetite for different choice in Wagga.

"It's good to have variety - Wagga deserves that."

Originally from Young, Ms Fowler recently lived in Sydney and when looking to open her first hospitality business said Wagga made the most sense.

"I looked at basically all country towns that I would have liked to live in," she said.

Family in Wagga was a good starting point for the cafe owner.

"But Wagga just wins every time from a commercial perspective - this town is thriving and it's only going to get better," Ms Fowler said.

The new Wagga local said surrounding Fitzmaurice Street businesses had welcomed her with open arms.

"I really think that a rising tide lifts all boats," she said.

"If we're all working hard and doing well and trying to bring something good to the town - we're all going to do well out of that."

Further north on Fitzmaurice Street is Wagga's newest Middle Eastern foodie addition Habibi Chicken, which owner Mariam Rehman said was so busy on its recent opening weekend the shop twice ran out of chickens.

"We sold over 400 chickens in two days," she said.

"We planned but we didn't think it would be that much of a hit."

Lebanese-born chef and shop manager Mo El Halwani said the shop's early success came down to offering something not locally available.

"Because still in Wagga there is no Middle Eastern shop - it's something new," he said.

"Everyday is busy."

The former Sydneysider said his family's chicken marinade travelled all the way from Lebanon to the regional centre.

Habibi Chicken has temporarily changed its closing time from 11pm to 7.30pm due to an overwhelming patron response placing too much stress on the new shop, which is yet to begin takeaway service.

Ms Rehman said she couldn't of been more pleased with the shop's Fitzmaurice Street location.

"We got the best place," she said.

"A few years ago Fitzmaurice just didn't look like this - now it's got a different vibrancy about it."

The main strip will soon see more fresh faces with two new cocktail bars set to open including a zero waste cocktail bar with plans to open in Cadell Place early next year.

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Proposals are also in place for a basement speakeasy and a social enterprise Yazidi restaurant.

Fitz Fest organiser Pheobe Pinnock welcomed the street's growth.

"Having different venues for different types of people is important," she said.

Wagga City Council will discuss its funding of the Fitzmaurice Street music festival on Monday, which is set to return early next year with the possibility of more venues involved.

"It's wonderful for artists and venues as well as the community having the opportunity to witness how much extraordinary talent there is locally," Ms Pinnock said.

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