Every Warwick business that opened its doors in 2021 – full list
From Warwick entrepreneurs defying the odds to big-name brands that exploded onto the retail scene, dozens of Rose City businesses hit the scene this year. SEE THE FULL LIST:
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Dozens of savvy entrepreneurs have overcome another difficult year for business to kickstart a range of exciting new ventures in Warwick.
From beauty salons and cafes to fashion and more, Warwick business owners have put in the hard yards to get their stores and products out into the community.
This is the full recap of every Warwick business to open its doors in 2021:
House Graze
Warwick couple Aaron and Sam Beckhouse kicked off the year with a bang by launching grazing platter business House Graze.
Passionate about using and celebrating the region’s produce as much as possible, the duo said at the time that their most popular platters featured Southern Downs favourites such as Jersey Girls cheese and fruit or veggies from Percy’s Fruit.
Equipped for the business world with backgrounds in retail and marketing, the Beckhouse team have quickly become a leader in the Warwick events and catering industry.
Beaumont Tiles
Andersens Warwick owners Mike and Christine Smith realised a lifelong dream when they opened their Beaumont Tiles store in April.
The venture was the next step in the couple’s dream of turning their Wood Street business into a homemaker’s centre, with the huge Beaumont’s showroom filled to the brim with tiles and fittings galore.
The store’s grand opening even attracted a few famous faces in The Block stars Jimmy and Tam, and the Andersens-Beaumont’s team has gone from strength to strength as a hub for builders and renovators in Warwick.
Sassy Little Beauty
Kickstarting your own business in one of Warwick’s busiest precincts at just 20 years old might be daunting for some, but it’s a challenge Shakii Clarkson tackled head-on with massive success.
The young gun opened up Sassy Little Beauty in the Parmalat precinct in November, offering a range of services including facials and waxing, lash lifts or spray tans.
Miss Clarkson had been working from Wild Sage Collective in Allora prior to nabbing the prime spot, and hoped the move would enable her to expand her customer base and establish herself as one of Warwick’s top beauticians.
Rural Connection Allied Health
Passionate about making high-quality and holistic healthcare accessible in regional communities, the Warwick team behind Rural Connection Allied Health were this year’s new additions to the sector.
Director and practice manager Tess Enchelmaier and exercise physiologists Dean Cullen and Harry Marshall focus on helping clients strengthen the body long-term to correct and prevent injuries.
With home bases at Ironside Industry in Warwick and Snap Fitness in Toowoomba, the team has expanded their services to smaller communities right across the Southern Downs such as Inglewood and Karara.
Art @ The Precinct
Warwick photographer Helen Robinson and her husband Evan opened Art @ The Precinct opened at the former Parmalat factory in January.
Renowned across the art community for her own CHM Photography brand, Mrs Robinson filled the light and spacious gallery with works from fellow talents across the region such as Robert Cullen, Sue Hamlet, and Juanita Faint.
The gallery remains a hub for Warwick artists and has become a legacy for Helen, who sadly died after a long battle with cancer only weeks after the gallery opened.
Wild Grounds Cafe
Warwick’s newest family-owned cafe threw open its doors to the community in September, bringing a fun and whimsical touch to dining.
Wild Grounds Cafe owners Kylie and Greg Parker moved to the area in search of a tree change and soon snapped up the prime space on Warwick-Killarney Road.
The cafe menu boasts a huge range of breakfast and lunch options, and the grounds have fairy and Japanese gardens, dinosaur park, and a children’s play area to keep kids of all ages entertained.
Natural Country Living
After 10 years of producing their own soaps and selling them online, Natural Country Living creators Joanne and Ken Edminstone opened their own Palmerin Street shopfront earlier this year.
The store also stocks gourmet food, country homeware, and body products alongside their range of soap and body products.
It wasn’t the couple’s first time opening a retailer in town, with the Edminstones previously known for their gift shop inside Rose City Shoppingworld.
Abra Kebab
Owners Murray and Alannah Duncan spiced up Warwick’s dining sector when they brought their thriving Abra Kebab franchise to town.
The eatery is in the Rose City Shoppingworld food court and offers a variety of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food, ranging from the standard kebab and salad options to HSPs and desserts.
Abra Kebab also gave the Warwick job market a boost, with Mr Duncan telling the Daily News he was keen to hire locally.
Shoulda Been a Cowboy
Carney Dwan’s leap from 14 years in hairdressing into the fashion industry paid off with the success of her online boutique Shoulda Been a Cowboy.
The former salon owner said it had always been a dream to run her own clothing brand, with most of her stock sourced from Texas and New Mexico in the US with a focus on unique or individual pieces.
Mrs Dwan said her love for American-western fashion was inspired by her travels to the US and her mother’s sense of style, as well as her agricultural background and passion for campdrafting.
Wild Harvest Collective
Warwick businesswoman Brianna Wilson launched Wild Harvest Collective in July, specialising in both fresh and preserved floral bouquets along with event styling.
The young entrepreneur said floristry was in her genes, as both her great-grandmother and grandmother were successful in the industry.
Passionate about supporting her fellow regional business owners, Miss Wilson sources her materials from local growers and even foliage froma family property south of Warwick.
The Dairy Lounge
The Dairy Lounge moved into the busy Factory Precinct in March and has become another popular spot in the thriving complex.
Precinct owner Graeme Collins opened the cafe in the premises formerly occupied by cafe and nursery The Weeping Mulberry, which closed suddenly earlier that month.
Staff member Jade Smith told the Daily News at the time that the team was hoping to expand their menu from cafe classics to lunch options such as sandwiches and bagels.
Katie’s Candles and Co
What started out as a hobby to make gifts for her family and friends soon turned into a thriving small business for Katie McArthur, who launched Katie’s Candles and Co in July.
The Warwick businesswoman focuses on hand-poured candles using Australian products, creating an array of fragrances such as Bulgarian rose or buttercream vanilla.
Miss McArthur said at the time that Covid may well have proved a blessing in disguise, as it gave people the time to spend on social media and stumble across small business pages such as her own.
Kmart
The arrival of the big-name budget retailer was one of the most eagerly anticipated business shake-ups in Warwick this year.
The K hub outlet took over the Grafton Street space formerly occupied by Target Country, and dozens of excited Rose City residents lined up outside to get their first peek on grand opening day.
The massive franchise has now become a staple for Warwick shoppers, and was accompanied by a Stanthorpe store later that month.
The Kewpie Cupboard
Opening her own rockabilly fashion store on Palmerin Street was something a decade in the making for Lisa Durand.
The business owner first launched The Kewpie Cupboard online after she was inspired to deliver the rockabilly and vintage clothing she loved to a wider clientele.
Ms Durand snapped up the Palmerin Street spot formerly occupied by Stephanie’s Lingerie in October, adding a brick-and-mortar store to her 22,000-strong online following.
Espresso Max
The major cafe franchise opened its doors at Rose City Shoppingworld in June, bringing another competitor into Warwick’s thriving cafe and breakfast scene.
First slated to make the move to Warwick in September last year, some construction delays pushed back the opening date.
Espresso Max has quickly become a popular coffee and dining spot for the Warwick community.
Big Things Little Things
A Warwick mum kickstarted her podcast series Big Things Little Things in 2021, driven by her own passionate climate change activism.
Sophie Spencer’s podcast delves into the serious environmental concerns plaguing Australia and encourages fellow Warwick residents to make their own small contributions to sustainability.
Specsavers
The huge international budget optometrist franchise set up shop in Rose City Shoppingworld this year, taking over the corner space previously occupied by Southern Downs Skin and Laser Clinic.
It joined fellow big brand names such as Kaisercraft, Surf Dive n Ski, and Kmart to open stores in the Rose City within the past two years.
It wasn’t only a year for new ventures across Warwick, with many familiar faces undergoing some major overhauls or returning after months of closure.
The Ranch Bakehouse transferred from its long-term spot on Wood Street to a slick new premises at the Parmalat precinct, which centres around a drive-through option for customers.
Popular Warwick pub The Malt House also made a sudden return in the second half of 2021, more than a year after its mysterious closure.
Prominent businesses such as Mid City Collision and Repair Centre changed hands after 25 years, and both Stephanie’s Lingerie and Buffalo Bills Western left their Palmerin Street spots for new premises on Grafton and Fitzroy Streets respectively.
There’s no denying 2021 has been a tumultuous and inspiring year for Warwick businesses, and the line-up for 2022 could be even bigger yet.
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