Henry Johnstone

Guzman y Gomez is shifting focus back to Australia after dumping its failed US expansion, with commercial property experts tipping a fierce battle for prime suburban fast-food sites. For many Australian companies, success at home inevitably raises the question: can it work overseas?

Southport is battling to shirk its reputation as a down-and-out suburb to re-emerge as the Gold Coast’s business hub. Picture: Getty Historically regarded as the Gold Coast’s commercial heart, Southport has undergone a dramatic transformation since 2020, becoming one of southeast Queensland’s most rapidly evolving urban centres, where investment and opportunity sit alongside complex social challenges.

As the cost-of-living crisis tightens its grip and Australians rein-in discretionary spending, dining out is increasingly on the chopping block, placing fresh pressure on an already strained hospitality sector. New research from ING shows nearly three in 10 Australians plan to cut back on eating out at restaurants and cafés.