Julie Zahl and the story behind Nourished on Capper

A humble and hardworking citrus farmer took on a new role as restaurateur to bring something beautiful to her community.

Julie Zahl and her chef Mel Lohse.

After watching her town struggle through business closures, a Gayndah woman decided to take matters into her own hands.

It was 2018 when Julie Zahl was driving through town with her husband Greg, when she remarked how unfortunate it was to see the ANZ bank closing its doors.

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“I said to Greg, ‘I wonder if I was 20 years younger if I could have just done something with the place’,” she said.

“There was a pang in my heart because a lot of people were saying ‘Gayndah is dying,’ but it only dies if we let it die.”

Julie Zahl and her chef Mel Lohse.

At 61 years-of-age, Mrs Zahl felt she was too old to do something new for her town, after spending decades contributing to the citrus and cattle industry that was the lifeblood of the region.

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“It was like a divine prompt. I just couldn’t put it away. I would wake up thinking about it,” she said.

Ultimately, she and her husband made the decision to buy the old bank building, and set about gutting it for a total restoration.

Dedicated to delicious home cooking with a gourmet twist, Nourished on Capper has become the place to be for a quality meal and enjoyable ambience.

“It has been very well received, people come from everywhere and we have a strong clientele,” Mrs Zahl said.

Nourished on Capper took over the ANZ building, which required a total restoration.

Building Mrs Zahl‘s dream was not without its challenges, as staff shortages and Covid resulted in short term closures.

She said the business has bloomed through the help of her staff, especially her chef Mel Lohse.

“She’s a great chef, she worked in the Sunshine Coast and has all her accreditation and training from working in beautiful restaurants from the area,” Mrs Zahl said.

“She came to me, and it’s been a beautiful combination, we really work well together.”

Today the restaurant reopens after closing for a month over the Christmas holiday period, a rest she said her staff had well earned.

So missed was the restaurant by the community, Facebook engagement had risen 1300 per cent over the previous week, as people reached out to find out when the restaurant would reopen.