Shannon Charles grew up cooking oysters kilpatrick in her family kitchen in the red dirt of north west Queensland.
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Fast forward 10 years, and the Cloncurry local is mixing with the best and taking on north Queensland’s restaurant heavyweights.
Shannon took over the reigns at The Pier Restaurant and Bar in Townsville in December 2015.
It was a risky move given sterling reputation of The Pier which overlooks the city’s Marina with fabulous views of Castle Hill and Magnetic Island.
But Ms Charles says the hard work has paid off ten-fold as she prepares to celebrate her first anniversary running the restaurant business.
“Everyone says the first year in business is the hardest and I have definitely found that to be true,” Ms Charles said.
“We’ve had to overcome some major hurdles but I am lucky to have a really talented team and the support of my family behind me.
“We all bring different skills to the table.
“I think that is why it works so well.”
Set over Townsville’s Breakwater Marina, The Pier is a far cry from the red dirt and spinifex covered hills of the north west.
“I got my start in hospitality in Cloncurry and my passion for good food just grew from there,” she said.
“I’ll never forget the early mornings working at the bakery or the late nights at the BIO Cinema.
“It really taught me the value of hard work and dedication.”
Shannon said that when the opportunity came up to take on The Pier, she just knew she couldn’t say no.
I’ll never forget the early mornings working at the bakery or the late nights at the BIO Cinema, it really taught me the value of hard work and dedication
- Shannon Charles
“I may be a little biased but we have got the best location in Townsville and the food and service to back it up,” she said.
“It’s definitely an experience and it’s so rewarding to see people enjoying our food.
“It’s even better when people from home visit and I get to share my passion with them.”