New Mexican restaurant Crazy Cactus opens in Bundaberg

Restaurateur Gayle Clark came up with the idea of opening a fun and vibrant Mexican restaurant in Bundaberg 18 months ago, and now she and her team are days off opening the doors.

Restaurateur Gayle Clark grew the idea of opening a fun and vibrant Mexican restaurant in Bundaberg 18 months ago, and now she and her team are days off opening their doors on September 30, 2022.

Crazy Cactus is the brainchild of Mrs Clark and her manager Sandra Davis, who helped foster the idea while they worked together at a second-hand store Mrs Clark managed.

“I wanted to bring some colour and a vibrant, happy place for people to eat and work,” Mrs Clark said.

The Crazy Cactus is one of several new restaurants popping up across the Bundaberg region, as the hospitality industry shakes off the Covid doldrums.

With more and more people moving to the region, the pair decided it was the right time to bring their idea to reality.

“The region is growing, and a lot of people are coming up from the south, and a lot of foodies are coming too,” Mrs Clark said.

A Mexican themed restaurant which also offers a range of classic Aussie meals, the menu was shaped by chef Aaron Burgess.

Crazy Cactus will bring a bright, vibrant restaurant to the Bundaberg scene.

A born and raised Bundaberg boy, Mr Burgess has four years of experience in the hospitality industry after making his start in the kitchen of the Club Hotel.

Working with Mrs Clark at the Crazy Cactus will be the first chance Mr Burgess has had to really decide the food he is creating.

“The amount of creativity you can put into a meal is really satisfying,” he said. “I haven’t had this sort of opportunity before.”

Mrs Davis brings more than 40 years of hospitality industry experience to the role.

“She’s worked all over Australia managing hospitality venues, not just in Bundaberg,” Mrs Clark said.

“She’s done a lot.”

The 18 month journey from concept to counter top was not without its troubles, and Mrs Clark said there were definitely road blocks along the way.

“I did have another venue in mind and I was ready to go, but it didn’t work out,” she said.

However, there has definitely been some bright spots, with the restaurant avoiding the main staffing issue plaguing the hospitality industry at the moment.

“I have been bombarded with applications. I have two full days of interviews lined up,” she said.

Mrs Clark and her team hope to set themselves apart in Bundaberg through their business mindset.

“I like to make customers happy, I always put myself in their shoes and think about how I would like to be served,” she said.