General News
28 November, 2025
Last day for cafe at botanic gardens
THE Botanic Gardens Café and Restaurant finishes trading today after more than 30 years.
Cairns Regional Council has not renewed the lease of operator Kimmy Timms and plans to demolish the structure, build a new $500,000 toilet block and increase garden and landscaping in the area. A pop-up café is expected to replace the current venue.
Ms Timms said a campaign to keep the café operating after renovations had failed.
“Over the past 29 years I’ve been fortunate to develop a long-standing clientele who appreciate and return for the atmosphere, charm, homemade real food and tropical, cool space,” she said.
“Many of these faithful customers, like me, are very upset and are at a loss to understand why council are going to destroy this loved popular facility against all the positive feedback they’ve received from the community to keep it.
“Too many people have either not received acknowledgement or replies to their feedback.
“This is the consultation that the council so strenuously claimed it sought and welcomed in making their final decision on this public asset.
“The health and financial impact this has had on me as a sole small business operator, funding a property that’s not mine and the owner of the first licensed restaurant in the botanic gardens is one thing, but who’s going to explain the loss to all the restaurant patrons?
“We’re expected to believe that council’s alternate suggestion of mobile coffee van(s) can replace a restaurant that holds 200 customers in singles, couples, family groups, bus groups or cruising ship groups.
“It’ll be a very sad day for Cairns when our botanic gardens doesn’t have a restaurant cafe.”
