Toowoomba’s Runnin on Hot Spuds and Coffee owner bucking business blues as Covid restrictions relax

Unlike many of her contemporaries in small business, Leisa Bowtell’s food van is making a killing. She’s hoping others will be able to cash in as restrictions start to lift.

Leisa Bowtell from Runnin on Hot Spuds and Coffee at the Toowoomba Street Food Festival at Pittsworth. Picture: Nev Madsen.

Leisa Bowtell’s food van serves out more than 350 delicious loaded potatoes on a good week, something she could barely imagine a few years ago.

“Back before Covid, if I had bought four bags (from distributor Bou-Samra’s), I would’ve thought that would’ve been a big weekend,” she said.

The trained-pastry chef and owner of Runnin’ on Hot Spuds and Coffee is bucking the current small business blues felt across Toowoomba and hopes the community will see a big boast in the coming months.

CBD office occupancies across Australia remain at record lows, with the vast majority of white-collar office workers still working from home, either by choice or government request.

Toowoomba businesses have also complained of poor Christmas periods and Januarys, citing the ongoing Covid pandemic and recent storms.

But Ms Bowtell said her business has never been stronger, pointing to her willingness to service surrounding towns along with markets, weddings and functions for the strong results.

“Basically what I do is instead of just doing markets, I do birthday parties, weddings, baby showers, she said.

“I do a lot of rodeos, horse events and I also go around to the little country towns and service them on a fortnightly or monthly basis.

“They all know when I’m coming and count on me coming every fortnight, and it’s not your normal takeaway food.

“I’ve found my own little niche and I stick to that.”

Small businesses, especially in the events sector, will be hoping residents splash some of their savings over the coming months on weddings, functions, holidays and public gatherings.

Independent economist Saul Eslake said Australian households had accrued $1.23 trillion in savings deposits by the end of December, a rise of almost 25 per cent or $242 billion over the two-year period covering the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ms Bowtell said as Toowoomba locals look to return to some form of normality following the pandemic, cafes and restaurants would be among the beneficiaries.

“It’s going to be a lot easier than what it was for those public events to take place,” she said.

“Some people have done it really tough, but with all of the restrictions changing, hopefully their businesses will pick up again and hopefully people will come out and support them.”