The Grande Caffé opens in a shipping container in Northgate
Food lovers Joe Lafauce and Viv Datta met while Viv was working at his former post as a barista, and the two instantly connected on all things food and coffee. Upon discovering an empty shipping container in front of Grand Ideas near Northgate train station, the pieces for their new locale, The Grande Caffé, swiftly fell into place.
Joe is a pastry chef who takes care of the sweet treats, while chef and barista Viv crafted the menu and looks after the coffee machine, where he brews freshly ground Elixir Coffee. Those who fall into the category of morning folk will be pleased to know that the coffee machine is switched on at the early hour of 4:30 am.
The menu caters to breakfast and lunch crowds, and the main menu has been condensed to an ‘On the Run’ selection of offerings for those scurrying across to the train. For breakfast, there’s standard fare of bacon and eggs as well as benedict fritters, which brings corn fritters together with poached eggs slathered in hollandaise sauce. At lunchtime, the focus turns to arancini, fresh sandwiches and burgers, and for all meals in between, there’s a selection of sweet treats made by Joe.
The Grande Caffé is positioned in an industrial street, and so its fit-out was designed to complement the neighbourhood and motley selection of salvaged goods at neighbouring Grand Ideas. Different textures of mesh enclose the seating area, lightbulbs are exposed and each of the tables is made from recycled materials.
The Grande Caffé
40 Holland Street, Northgate
Ph: 07 3162 4333
Open: Monday to Friday 4:30 am to 4:30 pm, Saturday to Sunday 6:00 am to 3:30 pm
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