Taking the plunge with your own business is a daunting prospect but two former Ing- ham sisters are thriving in the Townsville CBD, encouraging others to do the same.
Trained as a nurse, Carly Chiesa and her sister Megan Artis, who worked as a beauty therapist, stepped out of their comfort zones to open the popular The Beet Bar cafe on Flinders Street in 2015.
When their lease ended, the sisters closed the cafe and began a search for a suitable space to take their business to the next level.
Ms Chiesa said they began talks with the owners of the Precinct 21 building on the corner of Stokes and Sturt streets and were offered a great deal to become the anchor tenant.
They signed a 10-year lease on a 130sqm space, and officially reopened in August 2021.
“We designed the tenancy from scratch and fitted it out, and there has been a great response from our customers.
“We’ve had our ups and downs but because we’ve been willing to change and grow, it’s kept us relevant.”
“We now have a bigger menu and a fresher layout with different types of seating available, including outdoor pet- friendly dining,” she said.
While the sisters hadn’t en- joyed a positive experience with landlords and real estate agents in the past, Ms Chiesa was full of praise for Third.i, the owner and property developer for Precinct 21.
“It was really refreshing that the owners helped us run with our ideas, gave us the space, and believed in our vision,” she said.
Inspired by the Google and WeWork workspaces, the five- storey Precinct 21 boasts an industrial style fit-out with abundance of natural light following a $10m transformation.
Mr Berry said there were a limited number of 100sqm to 479sq m office spaces still available on levels one to five.