Six new Upper Spencer Gulf businesses to look out for in the lead up to Christmas
From a delicious ice cream to the perfect evening frock, these new Upper Spencer Gulf businesses are hitting the mark with their communities. Meet the faces behind the success here.
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It’s been a difficult few years for small business so we’ve decided to put the spotlight on a few savvy individuals who have created new ones over the past couple years in the Upper Spencer Gulf.
We spoke to various people around town to get a tip-off as to where we should be visiting in the lead-up to the Christmas festivities.
Baker’s Bear Port Augusta
21 Commercial Rd, Port Augusta
The Baker’s Bear bakery in Port Augusta has only been open a couple of weeks but is already building up a groundswell of regular customers.
Continuing on from the success of arms in Port Pirie and Warnertown, owner Dylan Hughes has been pulling 18-hour days in order to get the business off of the ground.
“I do all of the bread baking in Port Pirie, helping to do desserts plus am on front counter all day,” Hughes said.
“Me and my partner David Brown have been working together so it’s a family-run chain.”
Despite initially opening at 7am, they’ve decided to now open at 9am to ensure they can get the best fresh produce for their customers.
“We get all of our pastie veg from Barker boys in Mount Barker,” Hughes said.
“Everything else is sourced in Pirie or Port Augusta.”
K.D’s Hair Flair
43 Commercial Rd, Port Augusta
Though no stranger to the Port Augusta business scene, K.D’s owner Hannah Wilson has made some big changes over the past two years in an effort to make her business fully Australian-made and owned.
The salon has also increased its focus on environmentally-friendly hairdressing in an effort to do their best for the planet.
“At K.D’s we recycle foil, hair goes into the compost and we’re getting water savers in an effort to try make our business the best it can be for the environment,” Ms Wilson said.
“All our products are fully recyclable and largely biodegradable which helps our footprint as a business.”
Like many successful businesses, K.D’s enlists help from within Hannah’s family, with several members of the Wilson clan helping out in-store.
Graze Yourself
Port Pirie
Graze Yourself is the project of Jordan McCarthy, who built the business from scratch with the help of her young nieces.
“I started Graze Yourself just over four years ago, we had nothing like this in Port Pirie and thought it might become a hit and that's exactly what it has become,” Ms McCarthy said.
“It’s certainly exceeded my expectations.”
“I quite often get asked if I do catering but I don't like to refer to myself as that as I’m not a caterer, I supply and set-up graze tables and boxes, but on another note who doesn’t love cheese?”
For many small businesses it can be easy to lose sight of your passion when converting it into an income, as issue that Jordi has fortunately not encountered during her time running the business.
“I have absolutely loved every minute of it, making food look so aesthetic and looking back at photos of my work it is very satisfying, I'm getting a lot of inquiries that usually end up in bookings,” Ms McCarthy said.
“I always love an outdoor wedding, especially when there are fresh flowers around and I get to use some to make my tables look even more amazing.
“I started off with just my niece helping out plus taking pics for me and now she is there without a doubt at every graze plus my younger niece who has just come on board and is such a great help I would be lost without them both.”
Beyond the Hanger
6A Forsyth St, Whyalla
Beyond the Hanger recently was awarded best new business at the 2022 Whyalla Business and Tourism Awards.
Featuring a tasteful array of vintage clothing, the tastemaking store also has a lot of heart and is often making it their mission to ensure good clothing is accessible for all by reaching out through their Facebook page.
“I've been thinking about how we can help kids whose families are struggling financially with formal and graduation outfits next year,” they recently posted.
“I'd love to take donations of formal dresses that are no longer needed to build a collection for next year’s graduates.”
Little Edon
37 Bowman St, Crystal Brook
Located in Crystal Brook (20 minutes from Port Pirie), Little Edon has all of your health needs covered, particularly if you’ve in the market for a cleanse.
The business features a collection of different juices and healthy alternative milks and is a perfect place to shop for a Christmas gift for your most healthy friend.
Alongside the healthy bevs, the store uniquely also offers an infra-red sauna, one that uses light to heat your body, intended to assist with a variety of health conditions.
The logic is that as your body temperature rises, so does your blood flow and heart rate, which can increase your metabolism and aid in weight loss.
Cup and Cone
2/20 Commercial Rd, Port Augusta
Cup and Cone reopened in October 2022 after having to close for three months due to staffing shortages.
Asim Gautam said it had been good to see people returning to the store and hoped their unique blend of curries, American hot dogs and gelati would grab enough attention to keep them busy for the summer months.
“We want to invite everyone to come and try our food, tell your friends,” Mr Gautam said.
“We guarantee you won’t be disappointed.”
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