Rhi Pearce and Josh Leach were taking a stroll through Queensland’s Noosa National Park when Rhi announced she wanted to create a self-serve loaded fry bar. “My jaw hit the floor,” says Josh. “We talked about it nonstop for about a month.”
The concept was smart and simple: build a hot-chip bar with a spread of serve-yourself toppings. “It seemed like quite a scary venture, initially,” says Josh. But when a lease became available on Noosa’s bustling Hastings Street, the opportunity was too good to pass up. After friends Ysabella Buckley-Tyree and Lisa Tyree jumped on board, the four entrepreneurs began the life-altering journey of starting Chip ’n’ Mix.
Connecting with CommBank’s business team, the group secured funding and a dedicated relationship manager who helped guide them through the process. “It was all systems go, which was scary but so much fun,” says Ysabella. The idea came to life in four months and despite challenges, the team’s faith never wavered.
