Toowoomba’s West Lake Chinese restaurant to become fish and chip shop, drive-through coffee business

It’s one of Toowoomba’s most notable eyesores, having been a long-time restaurant before it was closed and left vacant. Now there appears to be some movement from the owners.

The site of the old West Lake Chinese restaurant on Anzac Avenue.

One of Toowoomba’s most prominent eyesores looks set for a new future, with plans lodged by the owner to add a drive-through lane to the building.

The old West Lake Chinese Restaurant on Anzac Avenue in Newtown, opposite Clifford Gardens Shopping Centre, has been vacant and for lease for nearly a year now.

Now owner Matthew Yuen has lodged plans with the Toowoomba Regional Council to add drive-through facilities, in anticipation of the property being used for coffee.

The report also outlined how the restaurant would be used for a fish and chips shop.

“The current building and the site (has been) used as a restaurant for over 20 years,” the planning report said.

“The proposal involves the modification of current restaurant (food and drink outlet) to diversify the supply including restaurant, fish and chips and coffee.

“The fish and chips component involves the display and selling of fresh seafood.”

The conversion of the site to cater for drive-through sales was hinted at by Colliers International agent Rebecca Steinmuller last year as one of the future uses.

“It is a great location so at the moment it’s being looked by drive-through and service station operators,” she said in June last year.

“It’s opposite Clifford Gardens Shopping Centre and not far from fast food operators, so it makes sense another drive-through operator would go there.”