Lonestar Rib House set to open up shop at the Mill in Wagga

The Texan-inspired restaurant chain is the latest in a series of big name food franchises for the city, after Schnitz opened its doors on Forsyth Street in April. 

Lonestar master franchisor Gary Blyton said Wagga was a “perfect match” for the brand.

“Wagga has developed well past a town and into a regional city,” Mr Blyton said.

“We first looked at Wagga about two years ago and have been following the Mill project with great interest (and) we are now keen to speak with any suitable franchise owners.”

Michael Stokes from Mill developers Interlink Group said the success of the flagship Dynasty restaurant had shown Wagga was keen for new tastes.

“The Dynasty is proving very popular and the Pig and Pastry Patisserie is being fitted out as we speak, (which) together with the convenience store will be opening in late May,” Mr Stokes said.

”We are now talking with established operators seeking to expand into major regional locations (and) we will be approaching council with very exciting plans.”

Wagga Business Chamber manager Anabel Williams said the arrival of another big name restaurant was a sign of confidence in the local economy.

“All these businesses opening up are just feathers in our collective cap,” Mrs Williams said.

“Food retail in Wagga has increased tenfold in the past 15 years. It’s great to get more options on where to eat, we’ve become spoilt for choice, but it’s clear a lot of franchises have done their research and decided to open up shop.”

Despite downturns in traditional bricks and mortar retailers, driven largely by the growth of online shopping, restaurants were still going strong in Wagga.

“Going out to eat is naturally something you have to do in person, you can’t get it online,” Mrs Williams said.

“You develop relationships with businesses that are reliable and consistent and I think the service in Wagga has really gone ahead in leaps and bounds, we’re expecting more and they’ve improved to the standard seen in major metropolitan areas.

“When people come to Wagga now they’re getting a first-class experience and that’s something we should be really proud of.”