Willes Fine Foods at Oxford St celebrates 30 years during coronavirus pandemic
An institution of one of Brisbane’s most famous high streets is celebrating 30 years in business during its biggest challenge but the owner maintains an unshakeable faith in the future as he reminisces about the rise of breakfast and avocado toast.
Southeast
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AN OXFORD St institution celebrates three decades in hospitality this week as it faces its biggest ever challenge but the owner says “truly, I’m not stressed one little bit about it”.
Peter and Mary Willes opened Willes Fine Foods at Oxford St, Bulimba, during Easter in 1990 and, Mr Willes said, there have not been any “great hiccups”, until now.
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“It’s been steady all the way through, you know we’ve worked at it, but it’s been really good that the customers have been so loyal to us.”
He said revenue had dropped by up to 40 per cent as dine-in was banned and catering orders for weddings, birthdays and other events postponed — but he was steadfastly optimistic.
All his staff had been with the business for more than 10 years, including a young woman who would celebrate her 30th alongside the store, after joining when she was 16.
He said although shifts had been reduced he would keep “terrific” employees.
“They’ve been really good to us, so we look after them,” he said.
“We’ll get through it, no worries. I just know we’ll get through, simple as that.
“Truly, I’m not stressed one little bit about it.”
When asked if he could share how he stayed so optimistic he told Quest Community News about the gold retriever puppy his son had picked up that day.
“The puppy is eight weeks old and I can’t wait to get home and see how it’s going. I’m more excited about that than worrying about the shop, at the moment,” he said.
Mr Willes said he chose Oxford St when Paddington was still the pre-eminent suburban shopping strip in Brisbane and he chose the up-and-coming location on “gut instinct”.
“I looked at so many shopping strips all over town, different shops in different shopping centres, and just knew — it didn’t grab me.
“When I came and saw the shop at Bulimba it was something I just knew, that this was pretty good here.”
He said the biggest changes were the development in the street and the rise and rise of breakfast, and particularly the avocado.
Three decades ago the riverside high street was lined with houses from the park to the library, Bulimba’s real estate rise was only beginning, and it was before cafe breakfasts “took off”.
“It wasn’t until (former Lord Mayor Jim) Soorley bought in the tables and chairs bit, where we could put tables and chairs on the footpath, that it took off,” he said.
“That’s when breakfast started taking off, it wasn’t a thing before then.”
Breakfast used to be “just the basics”, like bacon and eggs, but now there is a much more refined range, including a dedicated avocado menu.
“It started off with avocado on toast, that was a long time ago, it wasn’t on the menu but people were asking for it,” he said.
“Now, we’ve got corn fritters with avocado and eggs, avocado on rye with fetta.
“We just made it up and that’s been quite successful — people love their avocado.”
Mr Willes said he had “never really thought about” the fact that he has been in business for 30 years, and that it “doesn’t feel that long”.
“Put it this way, over the years, you know how you get itchy feet and you think, ‘Will I move on?’.
“Well, when we did go out and look, and we looked at Sandgate and Wynnum and Manly and in the end we decided there was nothing as good as this strip.”
Oxford Street Business Association president Gayatri Aegerter said a perusal of the I Love Bulimba Facebook group would show reams of praise for Willes Fine Foods.
“It’s one of the central places in Oxford St, it’s great value for money, they’ve been here for 30 years and they’re so well loved,” she said.
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