Reason for Aloha Poke Bowls closure revealed

The owner of a popular Sunshine Coast restaurant has revealed the reason why his second store abruptly closed its doors, as he refocuses on his flagship store.

Aloha Poke Bowls at Alexandra Heads unexpectedly closed four months after opening due to ongoing costs and "ghost town" location.

A local health food bar on the Sunshine Coast has been forced to permanently close the doors on one of its stores just months after opening.

Aloha Poke Bowls opened a second store in Alexandra Headland in January, 2023, following the success of the business’s first store in Marcoola, which opened in 2020.

The restaurant, which serves fresh and custom made poke bowls, shocked customers when the Alexandra Headland store unexpectedly closed four months after opening.

Aloha Poke Bowls owner Chris Woodley said the decision to close the beachside store was heartbreaking and he described the former business spot as a “ghost town” with the store unable to generate the profits needed to stay open.

“We all thought it was going to take off and be massive because of where it was and the product, healthy food near the beach,” Mr Woodley said.

“But that wasn’t the case at all, weekends were okay but Monday to Friday was very quiet, there aren’t any offices around and getting a car park isn’t easy.

“It is pretty bizarre, Maroochydore and Mooloolaba are busy but for us it was just like a ghost town.”

Aloha Poke Bowls owner Chris Woodley said he encourages more people to visit locally owned businesses on the Coast as inflation hits.

Mr Woodley said his first store in Marcoola remains open and he encouraged locals to support the smaller, independently-owned businesses on the Coast as inflationary pressures hit businesses hard.

“Our store in Marcoola is doing really well and we’ve got a secure lease but I’m still working six days to try and recoup from the Alex Heads store” Mr Woodley said.

“Everything has gone up in price, there is only a certain price you can ask for a bowl otherwise it starts getting too expensive, but the cost of our ingredients just keeps going up.

“It would be nice to see people go out and support a small cafe and any small business in general rather than going to big corporations.”

Mr Woodley said other small business owners in Alexandra Headland area had expressed the same concerns, describing the cluster of stores as “very hit and miss”, while adding rent was “bloody expensive”.

Originally published as Reason for Aloha Poke Bowls closure revealed