Jason and Kyla Romaior were married only a few weeks when they joked about spending their life savings on buying the heritage-listed wedding venue where they had just tied the knot.
The couple expected their loved ones to tell them buying the 160-year-old wooden-slab hotel in cyclone-prone North Queensland was a stupid idea.
Instead, they were repeatedly told, “You guys should do that.”
So, with the encouragement of their friends and family, Mr Romaior, 29 and Ms Romaior, 26, became the new owners of the Heritage Tea Rooms in January, just six months after their wedding.
The property, formerly the Eureka Hotel, is at Hervey Range, to the north of Townsville.
“All these different community elements had to fall in line for us to even consider doing this,” Mr Romaior said.
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The 10-hectare property had sat on the market for four years before the Romaiors took on the challenge of maintaining a heritage property, 10-hour lawn mowing sessions and running a busy cafe on site.
But their decision was sealed after realising they both had a high enough risk appetite to cope with the many hurdles that could come their way.
The Eureka Hotel was built at Thornton Gap on Hervey Range in an area susceptible to tropical cyclones. (ABC News: Emily Anderson)
“Tomorrow, a storm could come, and a tree could fall on the tea rooms — we wouldn’t be able to operate and we might lose all our money,” Mr Romaior said.
“But that doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of eternity.”
Understanding the risk
The building was constructed in 1865 as the Eureka Hotel on the first inland road connecting the Port of Townsville to the new gold fields west and north of Charters Towers.
It was built out of ironbark with a corrugated iron roof and was granted state heritage status in 1992 for its association with the development of the mining and pastoral industries in North Queensland.
This photo of the Eureka Hotel at Hervey Range was taken in the 1940s. (Supplied: Heritage Tea Rooms)
“The horizontal slab structure, which is raised on low, round ironbark stumps and massive half-round timber bearers fixed with wooden pegs, is a rare example of bush carpentry,” the Queensland Heritage Register said.
Throughout its history, the building changed names several times and was also used as a dance hall and refreshment room for travellers.
Its history was a key reason the Romaiors wanted the property, but also one of the reasons they believed it took four years to sell.
“It’s just such a big undertaking … lots of work to run a cafe and take care of the place,” Mr Romaior said.
“It’s also why it’s awesome, but why I think it dissuaded a lot of people.”
The Romaiors have joined a long line of owners of the 1865-built Eureka Hotel at Hervey Range. (ABC News: Emily Anderson)
Though the couple was prepared for insurance costs of about $20,000 annually, they said initial expenditure had temporarily delayed some upgrades and additions.
Mr Romaior said the heritage classification also meant building maintenance could be difficult, restricted and costly.
“It’s hard to know even what you can repair,” he said.
“There’s no ceiling, so in summer you get very hot.”
The Romaiors have mitigated some costs by calling on their family and community to help.
The Eureka Hotel is heritage-listed for its significance as a rare form of bush carpentry. (ABC News: Emily Anderson)
“With my mum, we said, ‘Would you consider working for us?’ and that was just a yes,” Ms Romaior said.
“Everything was just falling into place.”
Mr Romaior said previous experience owning a business had equipped him with the management and financial skills to run the new venture.
“There’s risk everywhere, but if you let that stop you, you wouldn’t do anything,” he said.
“Even if this all fails, we do have the kookaburras and kangaroos.”
Resilient sector with lower entry barrier
Townsville business broker Susan Butler said businesses like the tea rooms were often on the market longer than conventional hospitality small businesses.
“When there’s a lifestyle component, particularly in a regional or remote location, the buyer pool naturally narrows to people who genuinely want that lifestyle as well as the business,” Ms Butler said.
“These opportunities don’t suit everyone.”
Susan Butler believes the hospitality sector is becoming more resilient despite cost-of-living pressures. (Supplied: Susan Butler)
Ms Butler, who has worked in the industry for more than 20 years, said while there were risks involved in hospitality, it was an industry with lower entry barriers than more complex businesses.
She said soaring costs were another pressure for business owners, but the pandemic and cost-of-living crises meant many had put strategies in place.
“Businesses have been forced to adapt and streamline through smarter pricing, leaner staffing models, tighter cost control, and stronger community engagement via loyalty programs and social media,” Ms Butler said.
“In many cases, the challenges of COVID and the current cost-of-living crisis have actually strengthened the good operators.”
Kyla and Jason Romaior are planning to move to their Hervey Range property and raise a family. (ABC News: Emily Anderson)
Meanwhile, the Romaiors plan to move in and start a family, opening the place to their friends and family.
They also plan to put in zip lines and swimming holes so their future kids get to have a lot of fun.
“It was less the sentimentality of our wedding and more the excitement of the place and how we can build it for community,” Mr Romaior said.
“We are going to move here. This will be our home and our business.
“We’re excited for our kids to grow up on property.
“Our relationship is stronger because of it.”