Exciting new businesses to open their doors in the South Burnett over the past 12 months

From bookshops to clothing stores and mouth-watering sushi, check out the many businesses have joined the South Burnett over the past year.

It has been a busy 12 months for new businesses opening up on the South Burnett , with myriad new stores and restaurants opening their doors.

Here’s a list of the newest business to join the region this past year:

Husky's

“Watch this space” – that was the message Husky’s Cafe had for residents after it was announced it would be shutting its doors within days last December, prompting an outpouring of emotions from locals.

But Kingaroy didn’t have long to wait with the popular chain, owned by seasoned businessman Daniel Huskisson, sprouting back up in Kingaroy Shoppingworld earlier this year.

“We jumped at the opportunity to bring a new food and drink option into the centre mix, and Husky’s seemed like a natural fit,” centre manager Chris O’Rourke said.

“Our customers already know and love their other stores, and are always eager to support a local business.

“Husky’s Gelato and Juice Bar will fill a gap in the market, and we can’t wait to showcase their offering to our shoppers.”

The original Husky’s store opened its doors in November 2019 – just before Covid threw the world into disarray.

Born and bred Kingaroy boy Mr Huskisson and cafe manager Brooke Gallagher said running the cafe during the pandemic had been “really hard” with the pair facing ups and downs over the past nearly two years.

Wimberly & Co

Wimberly & Co bookstore owner was thrilled when the whimsical store finally came to fruition last year. Photo/Facebook

Opening its doors for the first time nearly 100 years ago, the Wimberly building in Goomeri has lived a thousand lives.

First opened by the Wimberly family as a grocery and hardware store in 1923, the building’s walls have held a cafe, restaurant, wine cellar, and as of July last year, the Wimberly & Co bookstore.

As a lover of books herself, owner Felicity Dascombe said the whimsical store was something her and her husband Andrew had spoken about from time to time for a while.

“We have amazing industry support from distribution houses, publishing houses, authors and other bookstore owners all happy to help,” Ms Dascombe previously told News Corp.

“We feel it’s added to our community, we have great shops opening up in town and the more on offer the more our whole community benefits.

“We have some great local authors, who we will have in store to meet people and promote their work.”

Phat Wag

Plans to open a wagyu beef butchery at Goomeri took a twist last week with the owners revealing a significant part of their project will now be built further west instead.

Almost a year after Phat Wag owners Selwyn and Jocelyn Maller announced their plans to open a shop at Moore St in Goomeri, the couple has announced a major part of the project will now be based in Murgon.

This included a cold room and processing room originally intended to be added to the Moore St business.

A Facebook post in June 2022 cited the “same old stand still with rules and regulation” at the Goomeri shop “so we’ve decided to opt for a second location”.

“The plan is to do the processing in Murgon … with retail in Goomeri,” Mr Maller said.

He said the process had unfortunately dragged on due to “slowness” from Gympie Regional Council and “a lack of action”.

Kajin Sushi

From the moment Kingaroy discovered a sushi train was coming to town, the excitement around the South Burnett was palpable.

Kajin Japanese Restaurant officially opened its doors at Kingaroy Shoppingworld just before Christmas and has been packed to the brim ever since.

With 25 years of experience between them, head chef Jenna Hwang and restaurant’s director Alen Kang, teamed up to give the region a mouthful of their favourite Japanese cuisine, serving everything from sushi rolls to fresh sashimi to miso soup and more.

Taking to Facebook on Christmas Day, the owners said they were grateful for the “overwhelmingly positive response and love”.

Kajin is the first sushi train to open in Kingaroy.

Athlete’s Foot

The Athlete’s Foot stepped into the South Burnett at the end of last year, officially opening it store at Kingaroy Shoppingworld in November.

Run by Area Manager Luke Robinson, the Kingaroy team fit customers for shoes using a hi-tech specialised shoe-fitting machine called MyFit 3D.

The store sells leading brands including Nike, Adidas, Brooks, Asics, Mizuno, Hoka One One, Saucony, Clarks, Merrell, New Balance and Sketchers, along with a range of their own branded accessories including socks, caps, backpacks, shoe bags, drink bottles and shoe care products.

Kaylee’s

Opening its doors for the first time in November last year at Kingaroy Shoppingworld, Kaylee’s stocks lingerie, activewear and dance attire.

The store is owned by Kaylene Abbott and offers comfortable workout apparel and a bra-fitting service to ensure customers always go home with a flawless fit.