Burleigh Heads café known for Pete Evans’ menu set to sell
Owners of a Burleigh Heads café, known as the ‘caveman’ café is on the market, two years after it closed its doors in 2022.
The Paleo Cafe got its nickname after the owners hired former celebrity chef Pete Evans as a menu consultant and ambassador for the franchise, which grew to be in ten locations across Queensland as well as interstate and in New Zealand.
The venue traded under the name for about seven years.
Evans, formerly a longtime judge on Seven's My Kitchen Rules, was dismissed from network 7 in 2020 after promoting Covid-19 conspiracy theories and sharing an anti-Semitic meme online.
At 51, Evans has authored several paleo cookbooks and was a regular at a Gold Coast café, part of a chain launched by Marlies Hobbs in Cairns. The paleo diet, often called the "caveman diet," emphasises whole foods like meat, eggs, vegetables, and nuts—foods believed to resemble those eaten by early humans over 10,000 years ago during the Paleolithic era.
The RWC Burleigh Group is bringing the 242-square-metre property, which includes an al fresco area and 12 parking spaces, to auction on November 15, with the café's contents included in the sale.
Property records show the site, located at 2 Park Ave, is owned by Rexnet Holdings Pty Ltd, a family business with four directors. The property last sold in 2008 for $1.2 million and was most recently known as Paperbark Café. Agent Travis Rayner confirmed the owners are committed to the sale.
“This is such an affordable opportunity for any business or investor wanting to acquire that trophy location on the Gold Coast in one of the most sought-after suburbs,” Rayner said.
“Due to the seller’s circumstances, they don’t want to test the market — they want it sold come auction day.”
Co-agent Ryan Langham said the property would suit a buyer looking to run their own business from the premises.
“We anticipate strong interest from owner occupiers, but also investors looking to capitalise on the strong growth this market is seeing.
“There aren’t many properties in that part of the Burleigh Heads that have 12 dedicated parking spaces.”
Evans was also dropped by several brand partners due to his increasingly controversial statements and later left Sydney to start a health retreat with his wife, Nicola, in the Byron Bay hinterland.
The couple founded Evolve Sanctuary on a 7.9-hectare property at Byrrill Creek, which they purchased for $1 million in October 2020.
The property was listed for sale earlier this year at $3.9 million, with an option for the new owner to retain Evans as the retreat’s operator under a lease agreement.
Jonathan Jackson, 29th October 2024
