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A consumer trend to pick up fast food while sitting in your car is behind a
$10 million drive-through development in Garbutt.The construction of the solely drive-through project on the corner of Hugh St and Ingham Rd
opposite the Garbutt IGA-anchored shopping centre is set to start on Monday.
The tenancies being developed include an outlet of Tasmanian-based bakery cafe group Banjo’s, a Miss Sushi Japanese food bar and a Zambrero Mexican restaurant.
It will also include a Hoppy’s car wash, a business developed by former rugby league star Chris Johns and Test cricket player Ian Healy.
National development firm Gibb Group is behind the project.
Gibb Group Queensland managing director Glen Wintour said the property had been vacant for many years but was nonetheless a strategic site passed by thousands of cars a day.
It was particularly handy for people going to and from The Strand seafront strip, he said.
“It’s centrally located and I think this development will add to the services in the area,” Mr Wintour said.
He said there was trend to convenience and drive-through retail projects.
This was backed by a desire among consumers to order and pick up food from their car.
A national building contractor developed in Townsville, Lanskey Constructions, is building the project.
Lanskey construction manager Glenn McDonald said they would use local contractors with employment on the project expected to peak at around 50 people.
Site works had commenced and they would “turn dirt” on Monday, he said.
Mr Wintour said Gibb Group had seen the potential of the property but had needed to overcome some difficulties around access to the site.
This had been resolved by creating a separate access for Hoppy’s car wash from Carrington St.
Other tenancies would have access from Hugh St.
“It has been a vacant site sitting there for a long time. We are excited to unlock it with a development that works,” Mr Wintour said.
Gibb Group has been an active in the Townsville market, this year developing a specialised warehouse in Mount Louisa which supplies pharmaceutical and medical products throughout North Queensland.
It was attracted to Townsville in 2012, acquiring a 30-unit business park asset in Mount Louisa from a developer in financial strife and completing the project by undertaking improvements, including a new access road.