Oceanfront restaurant in Townsville hits the market
When a restaurant with uninterrupted ocean views to Magnetic Island hits the market, Townsville locals naturally take notice.
The Rockpool Pavilion, one of the city’s most iconic waterfront eateries, has been listed for sale at circa $3 million, or for lease, giving an experienced new owner or operator the chance to shape the next chapter of this landmark venue.
Positioned at 54 Howitt Street, North Ward, the property sits at the gateway to The Strand, Townsville’s 2.2-kilometre palm-fringed beachfront promenade overlooking Cleveland Bay. It’s also beside the historic Rockpool saltwater lagoon, a council-owned community destination currently earmarked for revitalisation.
“We’ve had such a big interest … and for the right for the right business, it will just flourish,” says listing agent Glen Cummins of Knight Frank – Townsville. “Everyone wants it to work … put the right restaurant in there, it’s going to be phenomenal.”
The Rockpool Pavilion features a fully equipped restaurant, bar, and events space with seating for 200 guests, expandable to 300 once proposed council infrastructure upgrades are complete.
Townsville City Council has begun early design work to modernise and future-proof the Rockpool precinct, with plans to improve safety, water quality and access, enhance public amenities, and reinforce the area’s identity as a key community hub.
“The council is looking to work with whoever owns it, the incoming purchaser as well, to help best redevelop that area,” adds Cummins.
The venue’s setting is second to none, surrounded by the best of The Strand, from scenic walking and cycling paths to playgrounds, picnic lawns, a family water park and neighbouring restaurants and bars with postcard-perfect ocean views.
The Rockpool Pavilion presents a blank canvas for an experienced operator to reimagine the space, launch a new dining concept or continue building on its established reputation.
The vendor, FGH Group, a Townsville-based collective of hospitality venues, is offering buyers flexibility, with the option to purchase the long-term leasehold outright or step in as a tenant without ownership costs. Cummins says FHG Group purchased the long-term leasehold from the council, and still has several decades remaining.
Operating Thursday to Sunday, the restaurant currently offers a casual coastal menu centred on fresh, locally sourced produce – from grass-fed beef to reef-caught seafood – and also houses Tan Lines Distilling, producers of gin and vodka.
With over 1.3 million overnight visitors to Townsville each year, and major attractions like Jezzine Barracks just a short stroll away, opportunities of this calibre are few and far between. Townsville has a median age of 36 and a population of around 200,000.
“It has uninterrupted views that will be there forever in a day,” adds Cummins.
“Opportunities like this are rare,” the listing reads.
