Toowoomba’s best cafe has been found

The people have voted and the results are in … find out which cafe has been named Toowoomba’s best here.

TOOWOOMBA’S BEST: Toowoomba has voted and the region’s best cafe has been found!

After a nearly a decade in the industry, owners of beloved Russell St cafe Pump123 Tracie and Geoff Batzloff were ecstatic to discover they have been dubbed Toowoomba’s best cafe.

“We are a little surprised, there were so many popular cafes nominated so we didn’t expect Pump to take out the top spot,” Tracie said.

Toowoomba Chronicle asked the public to submit nominations via the Facebook page and received an overwhelming response with 45 cafes from across Toowoomba, Highfields and Oakey being put forward but when it came to the final vote it was Pump123 who won the title for 2021.

Next month will mark ten years since Geoff and Tracie boldly launched the drive through coffee shop and cafe.

After running the MacKenzie Row Convenience Store in East Toowoomba for over 20 years the couple said they were ready for a new project and were eager to tap into a relatively new novelty in Toowoomba at the time: barista coffee from the comfort of your car.

Tracie Batzloff and the busy drive thru at the Pump123 store on Russell St, Toowoomba. Photo: Nev Madsen

“Originally we only planned to have the store as a drive-through and take away style cafe, but our customers started letting us know early on they wanted somewhere they could come in, sit down and catch up with friends over a meal and cup of coffee,” Geoff said.

“We decided to include some tables and chairs inside the cafe and it’s become a really popular meeting place ever since.

“We’ve got several lovely ladies who come in a couple of times each week and they will spend a few hours here catching up over lunch and coffee, it’s the loyal customers who have been with us since the start that make Pump so special.”

After the successful venture of Pump123, a second Pump store was inevitable with the next cafe opening in Wyalla Plaza and a third, Pump Xpress opening in Kearney Springs just three years ago.

But running a coffee shop certainly isn’t a piece of cake – no pun intended – with Tracie and Geoff attributing a large amount of Pump’s success to a lot of good-old-fashioned hard work, as well as their dedicated, hardworking staff.

Tracie and Geoff Batzloff have owned the Pump123 store on Russell St for nearly ten years.

“We were both easily clocking up 90-hour weeks in the first five years of the business,” Tracie said.

“Part of that is because we enjoy running a very-hands on business and like to be personally involve with each of the three stores, we still work seven-day weeks because we love what we do.

“We are fortunate to have my sister Wendy Swan, who’s been the manager of Pump ever since the Russell St cafe opened nearly ten years ago and she runs the business just like it’s her very own.”

“Between Wendy and our fantastic 80 staff members across all three stores I think that’s why Pump has become such a popular place to grab a coffee and food,” Geoff said.

“You know when you come to any of the three Pump cafes you can expect consistently good Merlo coffee and fresh, health cafe food with quick and friendly service,” Tracie said.

“It’s an honour to know our loyal customers consider Pump123 to be the best cafe in Toowoomba and we are very proud of what we’ve achieved over the last ten years.

“We hope Pump continues to be one of Toowoomba’s favourite cafe’s for many years to come.”