NEW FLAVOUR ON OFFER
VETERAN small business owners and married couple Natasha and David Hernandez have added a new flavour to a suburban shopping centre.
The couple, who have owned Procut Meats for years at the Annandale centre in Yolanda Drive, recently bought the minimart business and transformed it into the Yolanda General Store.
“We put coffee in, a barista. That’s stage one; stage two is to eventually put a kitchen in so instead of bringing in baked goods, we will bake our own,” Mrs Hernandez said.
“We bought the (minimart business) about a month ago.”
The new general store officially opened on Friday.
Mrs Hernandez said the opening was well received, with plenty of people enjoying a freshly made coffee and delicious baked goods. “(Baked goods) are from JeanPierre (bakery) — we are trying to support locals as much as we can,” she said.
The store also sells fresh flowers and essential groceries.
Mrs Hernandez said five employees would be hired and she was hopeful of hiring another barista.
“When we started the butcher, it was just my husband and myself,” she said. “We now have 11 employees and have grown.”
The Yolanda General Store will be open seven days a week from 6am to 7pm.
Knight Frank Townsville agent Louise Slater, who negotiated fresh leases for both businesses, said the Hernandezes were good operators who were providing great services for local residents.
Ms Slater said a doctor’s surgery in the centre, which had closed after a fire some time ago, would be reopening soon. As well, she said, the centre’s Thai restaurant recently had doubled in size by expanding into an adjoining shop where a pool service previously traded.
“It’s a good trading suburban centre owned by two local people,” Ms Slater said.
“What the Hernandezes are doing, it’s definitely a drawcard. It will be a nice environment for people of that area.”