Downturn chews up hamburger eatery
TOWNSVILLE’S difficult economic times have been blamed for the closure of a high- profile hamburger store.
T. U. B. E on Gregory St business closed its doors on March 29 with a social media post stating the decision was made with deep regret.
Co- owner Paul Sichter said it had been a hard six years for the business and the closure was a sign of the times.
“There was just a downturn in trade and we couldn’t keep it going any more,” he said. “After Christmas, our sales dropped 30 per cent and haven’t recovered since.”
Mr Sichter said a lot of businesses in the last month had gone into liquidation.
“It’s a snowball effect, more and more businesses keep going under,” he said.
“The cost of living has gone up, unemployment rates are high and people don’t have much disposable income at the moment.”
Since the closure, Mr Sichter said he had tried to move the majority of The Strand store’s staff to the Mount Louisa store, which continues to trade.
“It’s still a brand new store as we will soon celebrate our first birthday,” he said.
“We just have to cross our fingers and stay positive that we can bring whatever trade we lost at The Strand to Mount Louisa. Our delivery service tries to cover 90 per cent of Townsville – from Bushland Beach, to the city and out to Rasmussen.”