Business
18 June, 2025
Popular Mount Isa bakery set to close its doors
Brumby's will officially shut down on Thursday.
Mount Isa will lose one of its most popular businesses when the doors close at Brumby’s today.
Bakery owners Michelle and Darryl Russell said it was a tough decision after an unsuccessful attempt to sell the business.
“Our franchise agreement was coming to an end and we didn’t want to renew it,” Michelle said.
“We looked into de-branding, doing our own store, but at the end of the day, we weren’t able to go forward.
“There was a chance we could have stayed open for another three months but we wanted to give our staff some certainty about what was happening.”
Brumby’s has existed in Mount Isa since 1996 and the Russells have owned the business since February, 2016.
Apart from delicious sourdough and lamingtons, the bakery also became known for its legendary Mount Isa Rodeo weekends, when it would open at midnight and serve revellers.
At times there would be dozens of people out the front of the tiny bakery waiting to get in or stuffing down a freshly made sausage roll.
Darryl said they would close with fond memories and thanked all of the locals who had supported them over the journey.
“We’ll miss the staff, for sure. We have got some awesome staff here. And we’ve also got some regular, loyal customers who have been with us the whole time,” he said.
“It does feel sad that we’ll be closing the doors on them.”
Mount Isa will have just one independent bakery left – Grant’s Cakes & Pies.
Michelle said she feared that the major supermarkets would continue to absorb local businesses.
The Russells had been staunch opponents of allowing Coles and Woolworths to open on Sundays.
Darryl said that without a good Sunday trade, it was hard to keep the doors open.
“Even on public holidays, it’s hard to justify opening when the big supermarkets are open,” said Michelle, who has worked virtually seven nights straight for the past year because of the difficulty of finding a full-time baker.
The couple say they have no intention of leaving Mount Isa in the short-term, although will spend time away visiting family and friends.
“We don’t get to visit family very often,” Michelle said.
Darryl added: “For our son’s 21st in February this year, we actually paid for our baker – one that worked for us before – to fly in.”