High on the Hog for 35 years

Hog’s Breath Cafe notches up 35 years in business this month and while it hasn’t been all smooth sailing the Queensland brand is looking to the future with a goal to open 20 new stores.

Hog's Breath Cafe celebrates 35 years.

The final year of the 1980s was a momentous year marked by the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the birth of the World Wide Web in Australia and the debut episode of Seinfeld.

Along with those mega events, 1989 also was the year Don Algie and Ginger White opened their first Hog’s Breath Cafe at Airlie Beach, inspired by an eatery in Florida.

Having survived economic downturns and most recently the Covid-19 pandemic, Hog’s Breath celebrated its 35th anniversary on July 4 unveiling big plans to expand its current chain of 26 restaurants known for slow-cooked prime rib, burgers and curly fries.

Hog’s Breath Cafe chief executive Steve Spurgin says that amid a hospitality sector grappling with economic challenges and closures, the chain’s resilience is remarkable.

“These restaurants have always been more than just a place to grab a bite to eat - they’re a hub for bringing people together and a go-to spot for celebrating special occasions and creating lasting memories,” says Spurgin.

“Don and Ginger got the original idea from Florida, sailing down the Queensland coast in their yacht to determine Airlie Beach was the best spot for the first Hog’s Breath.”

He says that while Hog’s Breath’s values remained the same, adaptation to market conditions was essential to the survival of any hospitality brand.

Hog's Breath Steve Spurgin

Hog’s Breath was currently rebranding its outlets, with many moving to a smaller store footprint to cut costs for franchisees.

“Smaller restaurants are more cost effective as hospitality hits harder times,” says Spurgin (illustrated), who adds the chain is focused on high street locations and neighbourhood shopping centres rather than mall food courts.

While the brand is celebrating 35 years, Spurgin says numerous restaurants within the group also are marking their own milestone birthdays this year - Nelson Bay opened 32 years ago, Port Macquarie and Rockhampton 31, Toowoomba 30, Hobart 29, Townsville 27, Wagga Wagga and St Marys 25, and of course Airlie Beach turns 35.

He says that while cost-of-living pressure was forcing customers to cut the frequency of eating, people were still coming to Hog’s Breath to “treat themselves.”

“The frequency of eating out may dropped, but we are finding people are not cutting back on desserts or starters,” Spurgin says. He is optimistic about the future with plans to increase the number of Hog’s Breath outlets to 45 over the next few years.

Charging up

Electric vehicle charging firm EVOS is seeking an additional $6 million from investors, having already completed a $4 million raise from existing investors. The latest $10 million funding round, once completed, will fuel growth in the company’s sales and marketing. EVOS chief executive Marcelo Salgado says the firm is ramping up the rollout of new products and software amid increasing demand for EV charging at home. “Sales of EVs are up more than 30 per cent over the same period last year and that number will increase as car manufacturer move further away from petrol-powered to zero emissions vehicle manufacturing,” says Salgado. “Research shows that EV owners will spend most of their charging time at home or the workplace – and we know that Australians are keen on Australian products.” EVOS has also begun experiencing success abroad, with sales in Southeast Asia and India increasing. Recently, the company was one of 35 exporters backed by the Trade and Investment Queensland’s Go Global Export Program, which provides funding and support.

Evos team (from left) chief technology officer Chris Crossman, chief experience and innovation officer Seshan Weeratunga and chief executive Marcelo Salgado