Toowoomba’s Burrow Cafe site in Mount Lofty sells through LJ Hooker for $1.2m

It’s been called one of Toowoomba’s best cafes by Chronicle readers, even after tragedy struck. Now the site has been sold to an out-of-town family for a big sum.

SOLD: The popular Burrow Cafe and a dwelling to the rear of it on Bridge Street in Mount Lofty have been snapped up by a family for more than $1m, in a situation described as horizontal shoptop living.

ONE of Toowoomba’s most popular cafes has been snapped up for more than $1m in a “very rare” deal that the selling agent said was the equivalent of horizontal shop-top living.

Burrow Cafe on Bridge Street in Mount Lofty, along with a residential dwelling to the rear, was sold through LJ Hooker Commercial for $1.285m.

Lead agent Chris Stewart said the two structures on the same parcel were bought by a rural family hoping to live in Toowoomba during the week before heading back to the farm on weekends.

Mr Stewart said the set-up was akin to shop-top living but without the vertical stacking.

“Burrow will be staying, they’ll be there for the foreseeable future,” he said.

“There is a three-bedroom, one-bathroom house to the rear — the owners bought it so it could go as a vacant possession.

“It’s a very rare listing, it’s not likely that something like this will come up again, due to changes in town planning.

“When we took it to auction, the particular buyer was looking for some off-farm income, they wanted to live that Toowoomba lifestyle during the week and being able to go out to the farm on weekends.”

SOLD: The popular Burrow Cafe and a dwelling to the rear of it on Bridge Street in Mount Lofty have been snapped up by a family for more than $1m, in a situation described as horizontal shoptop living.

Mr Stewart said he would like to see more shop-top living encouraged in Toowoomba, especially in the CBD.

“This is the sort of thing we could see if we had more effective planning — nice residential housing on top, commercial business at the front or bottom,” he said.

“It’s a good showing that mixed-use development can work in residential areas, if you look at how Burrow is buzzing on the weekends.

“If you can make it work 1km from the CBD, why can’t it work in the CBD.”

Burrow opened in 2018, but was damaged by fire the following year.

It was reopened four months later in early 2020.

Since its inception, the cafe has been routinely considered one of Toowoomba’s best eateries.

It was named the city’s best brunch by Chronicle readers last year.

SOLD: The popular Burrow Cafe and a dwelling to the rear of it on Bridge Street in Mount Lofty have been snapped up by a family for more than $1m, in a situation described as horizontal shoptop living.