Butchery on the market
Owners to focus on wholesale business
LOU Gordon has served thousands of Toowoomba customers high-quality produce during his 20 years with Queensland Choice Meats – but he’s ready to say good-bye to the front counter.
Mr Gordon and his business partner Wayne Roatz put the 90-year-old Taylor St butchery on the market last week, for the first time in more than a decade.
The lifelong butcher, who bought the store off the Hart family 14 years ago, said the decision was made so the pair could focus on the wholesale side of the business.
“When we bought that business, we had plans to develop the wholesale side, but we had to move out of (the original site) because the wholesale grew so much,” he said.
“I found myself trying to juggle everything, and I thought that if we try to develop the wholesale it will give me more time.
“As much as I love the butchery and talking to customers, at 55 years of age the time has come.
“I’ve always been very reluctant (to sell), but I’m getting a bit tired and I think there’s so much more potential in wholesale.”
Under Mr Gordon, Queensland Choice Meats has won countless awards for its meat, and hired up to 23 people at the height of the mining boom.
“There’s no other place in Toowoomba that does what we do to the degree that we do it,” he said.
“We don’t stock lesser quality there, we keep it high quality.
“Because (our customers) are dealing with quality, their average spend has always been very good – it’s a lot better than other shops.”
Mr Gordon and Mr Roatz now plan to expand the wholesale business into more hotels and restaurants across Queensland, with the possibility of exporting to Asia.
The sale of the retail business and free-standing building will be handled by Colliers International.
The expressions of interest period closes July 28, so for more information call Dan Dwan on
0488 799 229.