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www.be l l sm i l kba r. c om.au

BELLS MILK BAR SALE PROSPECTUS

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Bells Milk Bar: A Unique OpportunityOnce a mainstay of Australian culture, the

original Aussie milk bar is all but gone from

our cities and towns. This is your chance

to own a priceless piece of local Australian

history: one of the last remaining genuine

milk bars. With roots in cordial making and

confectionary dating back to the late 19th

Century, Bells is immersed in the 1950s & 1960s

world of malted milks and soda spiders. For

sale is a unique blend of Australian heritage

and culture combined with high margin,

proprietary products. This multiple tourism

award-winning business has experienced 10

years of consecutive revenue growth, has

extensive marketing, PR & publicity in place,

and the potential to further develop the

business either as a stand-alone tourism

attraction, or as a franchise, even syrup

manufacturer and exporter.

With the impending listing of Broken Hill as

a ‘Heritage City’ on the National Heritage

Register, Bells is perfectly poised to take

advantage of exciting new opportunities

in heritage tourism in addition to the

established trade. Business plans for growth

have already been developed by the current

owner, however for the right person, the

options to expand and profit are endless.

You will be sure to find a direction for Bells

that matches your own style and ambitions.

Just some of the opportunities immediately

available include:

•Expand current Broken Hill business to

include more food and/or retail options,

expanded trading hours, or even get a liquor

license and become a small bar too.

•Develop the museum experience and

produce a range of Bells memorabilia and

premium information products for retail sale.

•Develop and promote the eCommerce store.

•Develop wholesale syrup business, selling

to cafes in Australia and upmarket grocery

stores and mini-marts in China.

•Open more Bells stores in other locations

and start a chain / franchise of the unique

concept.

Bells Traditonal Soda Spider

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5THE OPPORTUNITYwhat’s included

7WHY IS BELLS SO SPECIAL?9 reasons

9WORK LIFE BALANCEmake your own life

10MARKETING & SUPPORTPR & publicity

11LOCATION & AMENITY

Contact Jason King on 0414 917793 or email jason@bellsmilkbar.com.au to obtain further information about this offer including sales figures.

Please forward your expression of interest ASAP to avoid disappointment.

19PR EXAMPLESTV, blog, print, online

18BELLS HISTORY 101the unique story of Bells

13PRODUCTS & SERVICESservices & facilities

15LOCATION & AMENITY

17POTENTIAL GROWTHexpansion opportunities

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“No matter which side of the Line of Lode you lived on in the 60s Bells was the only place to go for a milkshake.

...Bells is still the place to go for a milkshake. Where else can you get the ‘taste’ of home that takes you back?”

Jen Thompson.

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Make History at Bells Milk Bar!

Once upon a time there were

literally hundreds of milk bars

scattered all over the country.

Now very few of them remain.

Bells has been recognized as

unique in the Australian regional

tourism landscape and is one

of only a handful of remaining

original milk bars in Australia with

a range of premium proprietary

products to match. All the work

has been done, the business is

ready to move into and start

making history (and money) right

away. The best part is that the

true potential of the business

has yet to be reached. Some of

the key features of the offer

include:

1. Original building, fixtures and

fit-out. Includes three-bedroom

residence and milk bar (all

currently used for the business

but possible to live in if required).

2. Huge range of original

Bells memorabilia and other

collectables, museum objects

and era-specific fittings. Incudes

spare parts and additional fittings

for expansion possibilities. E.g.

• Original Syrup making

equipment & supplies,

scales, measures, etc.

• Original working soda

fountains with refrigerated

carbonator.

• Original 1950s shop counter.

• Original Bells multi-colour

venetian blinds.

• All museum displays

including as-yet undisplayed

rare photos & objects.

• 1957 Seeberg Jukebox (not

working)

3. All equipment required to

operate straight away including:

• Over 20 tables & 70 chairs.

• Fridges and counters.

• Kitchen & wash-up area.

• New commercial dishwasher

& stainless benches.

• Arcade & gumball machines.

• New 2 group espresso

machine.

• Fudge making equipment.

• Italian commercial ice cream

maker.

• New ducted air cooler and

commercial floor tiling.

• 10 panel milk bars and cafes

museum display.

• Security system including

burglar alarm and CCTV

system.

4. Substantial existing marketing

and WOM among locals and

visitors including existing

advertising, recent eCommerce-

enabled website and blog, a

Facebook page with over 3500

genuine ‘likes’, local and national

referral network in place.

5. Long-established brand & IP

including trademark for “Bells

Milk Bar” & all proprietary recipes

needed for the manufacture

of the range of Bells syrups

cordials. Existing local and online

repeat customers including

wholesale syrup customers.

6. All stock and supplies needed.

Includes syrups and ingredients,

packaging, retail merchadise,

etc.

A Broken Hill “must-see” but

also has real potential to go

national.

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9 Reasons why Bells is special...

Syrups & Cordials30 original recipe drinks bases, made on-site

to Bells’ own recipes. They combine to make

over 50 ‘out of this world’ malted milks and

soda flavours. Many of these flavours are not

available elsewhere.

Award-Winning SynergyThe real magic of the Bells experience lies in

the combination of décor and design, drinks

bases, story and the universal association we all

have with the 1950s milk bar. Bells has received

Heritage and Cultural Tourism Awards at all

levels including Runner up at the Australian

Tourism Awards.

Retail MemorabiliaWe’ve sourced a collection of rockin’ retro

memorabilia and retail items to perfectly

complement the experience here. The well-suited

retro collection satisfies discerning nostalgic

visitors, and it adds to the bottom line.

Original intact SurroundingsAuthentic drinks served in an original Milk Bar

environment featuring the Original Murals &

Decor of the 1950s & 1960s. One-of-a-kind-premises

featuring the original fixtures and fittings

including: working original soda fountains, real

metal milkshake containers, original furniture,

and loads more.

Milk Bar MuseumCustomers can experience it in the shop then

learn all about the history of Australia’s milk

bar and cafe culture in the museum area. It

adds a wow factor, exceeds expectations and

contributes to the experience at Bells.

Old is NewThe pending national heritage listing for Broken

Hill is exciting and the rise of vintage and retro

popularity in contemporary culture puts Bells

Milk Bar firmly in the frame when it comes to

unique and sought-after tourism experiences.

StoryBells Milk Bar is one of Broken Hill’s longest running

businesses (est 1892) – The Bells Story is amazing

and impossible to copy. (The trademark for the

name “Bells Milk Bar” is offered as part of this

package). Generations of Broken Hill residents

have been weaned on the drinks here.

Community Spirit.Not many businesses occupy such a meaningful

space in the hearts and minds of customers.

Bells represents a way of life that is no longer

available to most people. Simply put, customers

love Bells and the shop enjoys good standing in

the local community.

Trading HistoryBells has survived two world wars, a global

depression, and the ups and downs of life in a

boom-and-bust mining town. Under the current

management this has continued during the

GFC, a time when many other tourism and retail

businesses suffered dramatic downturns.

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Work Life Balance...

Under Management

The business is currently geared to allow flexibility

and work-life balance. The current owner works a

maximum of 10 hours a week in the business and

regularly takes time out to spend with his family

and for other projects. This is something that

could continue under new management, but there

is also an opportunity to work in the business full-

time and take Bells Milk Bar in new directions not

currently possible.

One-Of-A-Kind

The great thing about Bells is the unique nature

of the business, the lifestyle opportunities for the

right person, and the potential for growth if you

want to use the Bells IP, history, and the story as

a basis for expansion. There literally is nothing

else like Bells operating in the marketplace. The

opportunities to promote this are fantastic. You

can’t really put a price on this kind of uniqueness.

The Premises

Attached to the back of the ‘shop’ is a three-

bedroom house, as original and 1950s as the

milk bar itself. While this has been absorbed by

the museum and the business, it may still be re-

converted back to a house if desired, (although

there would be lots of customers who would be

disappointed). Either way if you love the 1950s or

the retro culture, you’ll be in heaven at Bells.

Inclusions at a glance...

• Physical original freehold premises including 3

bedroom residence.

• Extensive retro renovations throughout, new

cooling and flooring recently.

• All plant, equipment & stock.

• Includes freezers, fridges, ice cream makers,

commercial wash-up area, syrup-making

equipment.

• Collectables and memorabilia.

• Website and existing marketing .

• Brand & Logo, style guide.

• Award-winning business with loyal customers

and regular publiticy and free editorial.

• IP – Including Syrup recipes, Trademark for

‘Bells Milk Bar’.

• 30 recipes, logo, extensive WOM and PR.

• Over 3500 Facebook ‘likes’, 1/3 are locals.

• Handbook and systems – staff, OHS, marketing.

• Staff induction and training manuals, recuritment

and ordering procedures, operational systems.

• Trained staff in place and willing to stay on.

CONTACT JASON KING FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION INCLUDING FIGURES

jason@bellsmilkbar.com.au

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Paid Marketing & Extensive Publicity in Place

The current owner has formal marketing qualifications and comprehensive

marketing is in place including branding, style guide and existing

e-commerce website. Bells Milk Bar gets great word of mouth referrals

from visitors and repeat business from locals and visitors alike. As a

unique award-winning tourist attraction in the outback mining town of

Broken Hill, over the last 10 years, Bells has received consistent marketing

and publicity. Check out the examples of marketing and publicity featured

later in this document.

Patton Village Association

The Patton Village Community & Business Association was formed in 2010

and is a not-for-profit association dedicated to developing the tourism and

community potential of the Patton Village precinct where Bells operates. In

addition to a popular annual Christmas Street Party, the group organises

regular community events and is working towards a 2020 plan to revitalize

the precinct through a series of community infrastructure initiatives such

as Park upgrades, street furniture and murals.

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Location & AmenityBells is situated in Patton Village, a small strip

shopping precinct on the South Side of Broken

Hill’s famous Line of Lode. In addition to being an

iconic tourist attraction, Bells is the only sit-down

café on the South Side of Broken Hill, which hosts

around 25% of the town’s population.

Bells and the Patton Street shops are located

300m from the site of the Broken Hill Studios,

film and heritage precinct. The site is still to

be fully developed however the local Council is

committed to completing the development of the

site and a large scale tourism project is likely to

occupy the site in the future. Patton Street is also

the extension of the Wentworth Rd one of three

entries to the town of Broken Hill. The street is

also on the way to the airport.

Patton Street is known for the friendly vibe

and local community feel when compared to

cookie-cutter shopping malls. Bells is situated in

the centre of the precinct, next to a small post

office and across the road from Patton Park,

which is the only park-side shopping and dining

experience in Broken Hill. Most businesses

complement Bells, There’s a children’s indoor

play centre in the strip, a primary school nearby,

and a preschool across the road.

Apart from being unique in Australia, Bells is also the only sit-down cafe experience on the South side of Broken Hill,

home to around 25% of the local

population.

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Products & Services

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The Products & FacilitiesThe drinks and syrups are the main product sold

at Bells, however there are other products that

help make the business viable and which could

all be expanded to make the business more

profitable.

These include retail memorabillia, cakes and

slices, and an array of savoury foods.

For a quick glance at the ‘nuts and bolts’ of the

Bells experience, see this table and graph. (click

here to download menu or visit the website at

bellsmilkbar.com.au).

Products & Services Facilities & Displays

Bells Drinks: Milkshakes, Thickshakes, Soda Spiders, over 50 Flavours!

Original Milk Bar: Intact 1956 renovation of Bells Milk Bar with 1950s and 1960s décor.

Bells Syrups & Cordials: 250ml & syrups, 375ml & 750ml cordials,

Bells Murals: original Bells murals featuring dancing fruit, aliens and Bells Drinks.

Bells Other Retail: – Nostalgia focused retail items

Milk Bar Museum: Permanent displays, , local , state and national milk bar objects.

Bells Cakes & Slices: mainly 50s era, like lamingtons, carrot cake, muffins, apple pie

Milk Bar Memories: Customer’s local and interstate memories to share with others.

Bells Desserts: Bells Gelato, Sundaes, fresh baked waffles with Bells Syrup.

Bells Gift Area Adjoining museum, housing retail products

Bells Heath Conscious: Smoothies, soy milk, gluten free cakes.

www.bellsmilkbar.com.au: syrup sales, his-tory, memories, ‘how to’ you tube video

Miscellaneous: Classic Coke, water, choco-lates, hotdogs, lunch for groups

ECommerce Website: including syrups and retail memorabilia sales.

Online Syrups: Bells syrups and cordials available through online portal using PayPal.

Customer Toilets: Customer access to the Bells toilet - people can stay longer.

Bells Fudge: Bells own branded handmade traditional recipe fudge made onsite.

Parents Room: The Bell’s bathroom now with baby change table and chair.

Bells Lolly Shop: Bells branded handmade old-fashioned confectionery.

Bells Facebook Page: over 3500 ‘Likes’

Bells Savoury Food – NEW – toasties, hot-dogs, quiche, etc.

Free Wi-Fi: Fast and reliable free wireless internet with any purchase. (BYO device)

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“I am stoked to have a great quality Australian product on board. They

taste sensational!”- New Cafe Customer Sept 2014 -

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The Bells Experience

With roots in 1890s confectionery and cordial-making, the current shop

reflects the 1956 renovation. Stepping through the door, you’ll experience

a total time warp so real you’ll think you’ve landed in the fifties! It’s a far

cry from the corner store delis that seem to have hijacked the ‘milk bar’

term in recent years. On its own this

intact original milk bar is an Australian

icon and culturally priceless. The real

value, however, lies in the authenticity

of the entire Bells experience. The ‘out

of this world’ malted milks and soda

spiders served here are made using

Les Bell’s secret recipe syrups and

cordials, made onsite by hand in small

batches using the antique scales. All-

up there are over 30 recipes owned by

Bells with the potential to develop an

unlimited number of future recipes,

as well as spin-off products such as

dessert sauces. (The opportunity also

exists to expand the scale of syrup

production). Visitors can learn about

Australia’s unique milk bar and café heritage in the milk bar museum and

then experience it in the milk bar while drinking a Cherry Ripe Malted Milk

with nutmeg or sipping a Bodgie’s Blood Soda Spider – out of a real metal

container or soda glass – and drifting away to reminisce with the latest 1950s

and 1960s music.

Bells Syrups & Cordials

The syrups and cordials are made onsite using traditional small batch

manufacturing just like they always have. Many Bells flavours are simply

not available anywhere else in the Australian market. The range of 1950s

milk bar drinks made from the syrups and cordials account for the majority

of sales, either through drinks made

here or in the form of the syrups and

cordials. There are currently 30 flavours

of syrups and cordials, which combine

to make in excess of 50 advertised

drink flavours (and a virtually unlimited

combination for the creative). They are

also used in Bells desserts, and recently

we have started adding them to ice

cream bases to make our own Bells

handmade ice cream and gelato. There

is also a great opportunity to develop

new lines such as more food and

Bells memorabilia or retail offerings.

Currently the syrups and cordials are

sold nationally to a growing number

of cafes. Limited wholesale prices are

offered, however this is one key area where growth could be substantial

if syrup-making was expanded and more competitive wholesale prices

introduced. In addition, a market has been identified in Chinese high-end

supermarket stores looking to import more authentic Australian made

products, especiallyfrom the Outback with unique stories like that of Bells.

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GrowthPotential

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Expand Current Shop

Current plans to expand the current Broken

Hill store include extending the Bells museum

experience into the original 1950s lounge,

kitchen and dining room areas, expand the food

offering and develop a retro lounge / gallery

in the existing museum space (shot above from

recent short film shot at Bells).

There is strong demand for savoury food at Bells

and this as well as the range of Bells’ own cakes

and desserts can be expanded under the right

management. in addition, the strong current

retail giftware sales could be expanded with the

development of a range of bells memorabillia

such as T-shirts, hats, teatowels and mugs.

Expand & Export Syrups

Syrups are made in two gallon batches by hand.

There is consistent demand for the huge range

of Bells syrups by city-based cafes looking

to offer authentic milkshakes and sodas in

their shops. The high price relative to other

products has kept demand managable for the

current owner, however, a small investment

in upgraded syrup manufacturing capacity

would allow competitive wholesale rates to be

introduced and this area has scope for massive

sales. This includes selling to cafes and delis in

Australia but also potential customers such as

high-end supermarkets in China where demand

for Australian and ‘outback’ products is high

and the burgeoning middle class have money to

New Stores (Chain or Franchise)

Perhaps the most exciting opportunity to grow

Bells Milk Bar is through the establishment of

a chain or franchise model where the entire

concept is reproduced in other towns at sites

with high foot traffic and pockets of cashed-up

population. Nearly every other day someone

says ‘i wish there was something like this in my

town’.

Over the years several serious enquiries have

been made by people interested in starting their

own Bells store but timing and circumstances

were never quite right. The trademark for ‘Bells

Milk Bar’ comes with the sale to help protect the

brand.

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Bells History 101...

Bells Milk Bar started out as a small confectionery store called ‘F. Fenton Confec-tioner’ in 1892. The original building was situ-ated on the same site that Bells now occupies. Frederick Fenton was also a cordial maker. Mr Fenton hired John Joseph Longman as his apprentice.

By 1908, Fenton still owned the store, but Long-man was left in charge of the Patton Street store. Eventually Longman acquired the busi-ness.

Les Bell’s mother, Minnie Pearl Davis joined the business in 1903, as an apprentice cordial maker, and later married Mr Longman. Min-nie Pearl had three children to Longman: Eric, Robert and Eunice. In 1918 Longman was killed in France in the First World War, leaving Min-nie Pearl to run the shop on her own. It be-came known as ‘Pearly Longman’s’.

When she remarried on the 7th March 1923 to Les Bell, a toolmaker on the South Mine, the shop was known as “Pearly Bell’s”. Minnie Pearl was the true pioneer of Bells, running the shop solo as ‘Old Les’ continued working on the mine.

Legend has it that she would stand out in the street until it was devoid of a single soul be-fore closing; thus ensuring that no one was ever denied the opportunity to purchase one last special Bells drink.

The ‘Milk Bar” first appeared in Australia around 1932 in Sydney. Though “Pearly Bells” was already an old soda fountain shop of much renown, council records indicate a ma-jor re-development of the shop in 1938. This would have most likely been when it first be-came ‘Bells Milk Bar’.

As well as enjoying the atmosphere of the shop even back then, people came to taste Pearly Bell’s delicious drinks like the Green Lime or Ginger Beer Spider and Vanilla Malt Milkshake.

Minnie Pearl had another son, Les Bell junior, who eventually inherited the shop along with his wife, Mavis, in 1953. The fifties and six-ties live on in Bells Milk Bar. After only three years as owners of the shop, Les and Mavis conducted dramatic renovations in 1956. To-day, the intact 1950s architecture meets the Jetson’s-style ‘Dancing Fruit & Aliens’ interior murals. This is still architecturally stylish, and was ahead of it’s time in the mid 1950’s.

In the proud Bells tradition, Mavis Bell con-tinued the ‘doll-faced’ appearance adding a beehive hairstyle too. In the fifties, the pop-ulation was almost double that of today and Bells Drinks were in high demand, particularly over the sweltering Broken Hill summers.Les Bell was a perfectionist. He took his moth-er’s old recipes of the late 19th century and added the 1950′s ingredients to modernise them.

The result can still be tasted today – the drinks served here are made from Les Bell’s famous secret recipes which he adapted from his mother’s old fashioned recipes. They taste ‘out of this world’ and are a fine example of the benefit of retaining the old traditions like small batch handmade syrups

Picture Captions:

1. Original confectioner Bells morphed from.2. F.Fenton the first owner.3. The 1930s version of Bells. 4. The ‘New shop’ from the 1950s. 5. Inside Bells 1960s.6. Magic of bells, Les Bell’s certificate.7. Many remember these original scales.8. Les & Mavis on their wedding day.9. Christmas has always been busy.

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Publicity PR & WOM

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M AY 2014 QANTAS 49

The one-time mining capital of Broken Hill, way out west in New South Wales, has a rich history and a surprisingly strong connection to the arts. Ute Junker plumbs the hidden depths of this remote town.

Sculpture Symposium in the Living Desert Sanctuary outside Broken Hill

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J U N E 2014 QANTAS 49

Bells Milk Bar is certainly not your average outback water-ing hole. Belly up to the bar in

search of a thirst-quencher and, instead of an amber ale, you’ll be served a good old-fashioned milk-shake. With genuine 1950s interiors and a nice line in lime spiders and malted milks, Bells is a rare find. It’s also a Broken Hill landmark, having served the community since 1892.

“It is so old, it is back in fashion,” says owner Jason King, an out-of-towner who took over Bells in 2004. He says many locals remember the days when, after pub closing at 6pm, the milk bar and movies were the only entertainment in town.

“As children, they would walk down to the milk bar with the billy-can to get ice-cream to take home on a hot summer night.”

Art & the outback

Blog, Magazine & Newspapers

Bells is regularly featured in a range of magazines

and online travel blogs. Notable examples

include a recent lead paragraph (above) in

the Qantas in-flight magzine, a feature article

about Bells in RM Williams Outback Magazine

(and Outback Dining Annual), the front cover

of the Broken Hill Phone Book, and regular retro

and milkshake pieces in city newspaper lifestyle

pages.

Links to examples:• http://www.artereal.com.au/home/pdf/Simone%20Douglas_

Qantas%20Inflight%20Magazine_June%202014.pdf• http://www.traveller.com.au/history-milked-for-all-its-worth-

goad• http://www.australiantraveller.com/broken-hill/060-visit-a-slice-

of-the-50s-in-the-outback/• http://www.candm.com.au/travel/article/coathanger-shaped-

TV Shows & Film

Bells has appeared in most of the major travel

shows to visit the region including Taste of

Travel (pictured above), Discover SA, What’s Up

Down Under, Discover Downunder, and Sydney

Weekender. Furthermore a scene from the

upcoming Last Cab to Darwin feature film was

shot of the exterior, and at least two feature

films are under development with scenes in Bells

planned.

Links: • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNcoaGzLJ7A• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TB56eeJt7k• http://www.discover7.com.au/flinders-ranges-outback/food-

and-wine/cafe/bells-milk-bar-and-museum/• https://vimeo.com/79847898•

Word of Mouth & Social Media

Word of Mouth (WOM) is a vital ingredient in the

success of Bells. New custoemrs regularly walk

through the door thanks to the recommendation

of fellow travellers, friends, colleagues, and

relatives who describe Bells as a must see stop in

the hill. Bells also has a strong local fan base and

some of the locals have been coming here for

generations. There is also a strong social media

prsence especially facebook, and the Bells page

enjoys over 3500 likes, around a third of those

from Broken Hill locals.

Links: • http://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/outback-nsw/broken-hill-

area/broken-hill/attractions/bells-milk-bar-and-museum• www.facebook.com/bellsmilkbar• www.bellsmilkbar.com.au• http://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/outback-nsw/broken-hill-

area/broken-hill/attractions/bells-milk-bar-and-museum•

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www.bellsmilkbar.com.au

160 Patton StPatton VillageBroken HIll NSW 2880Australia

e. drink@bellsmilkbar.com.au

p. +61 8 80875380m. +61 414 917793