Busselton fast food hits the skids

The sudden closure of two outlets has cast doubt on the viability of fast-food businesses in Busselton.

Last Sunday Chicken Treat closed its doors and takeaway pizza company Eagle Boys has also ceased trading.

A Chicken Treat spokesman said the decision was based on “commercial reasons” after an assessment across the group.

The spokesman said Busselton was a company store, not a franchise, and there was no connection to the accidental caustic soda poisoning of customers at a Bunbury Chicken Treat last month.

Eagle Boys said its store had closed due to personal reasons related to the franchisee and it was seeking another site in Busselton.

Busselton Chamber of Commerce chief executive Ray McMillan said Busselton needed more upmarket restaurants.

“We have a proliferation of fast food-type places, so maybe we need some at the next level,” he said.

“We’re quite well placed with lunchtime places, there’re probably enough of those, but we only have a couple of high-level places like the Goose and Equinox which take advantage of the views.”

Mr McMillan said he thought the success of the Laundry bar and restaurant indicated there was a market for more high-end establishments in Busselton.

City of Busselton chief executive Mike Archer said the City could not influence what style of food businesses were established in Busselton and there was no limit to the number of fast-food or takeaway chains, subject to zoning and planning conditions.

When asked if the City had concerns about the viability of such enterprises should they be incorporated into future shopping centre developments, Mr Archer said it was too early to make assumptions about what outlets might be attracted to the Busselton Central shopping centre upgrade.

“These are commercially driven decisions,” he said.

“However, to encourage some smaller family-oriented businesses potentially bordering Mitchell Park, the City has indicated a desire to see a mixture of different sized commercial units incorporated within the complex.”

WA franchise Pasta Cup will open a restaurant on Kent Street in the Woolworths development on July 9.

Special projects officer Laurence Bernstein said the company believed there was a growing market for families in Busselton, despite its seasonal nature.