With their latest venture, Alex MacDonald and Caitlyn Kemp are shifting gears. The hospitality veterans have cultivated a loyal client base at their popular Rochedale pit stop Unkempt Espresso Bar, which began life as a coffee cart and has grown into a buzzing seven-day-a-week dispensary of caffeine and made-to-order chow. At the duo’s new hospitality concept, Wilburs General Store, the tandem is eager to slow things down a touch and bring quality grab-and-go fare to an under-serviced part of Brisbane devoid of reliable options. Wilburs General Store, which quietly opened to the public in December, sits in the heart of Holland Park on the corner of Wilbur Street and Geelong Avenue – just across the road from Holland Park State school. The building boasts some local history. Those that have grown up in and around Holland Park might remember the site as the former home of Mr Turner’s, a corner store and lolly shop that was a local treasure throughout its tenure. Alex and Caitlyn have taken great care to preserve the shop’s convivial essence and retain its convenience-oriented format, undertaking a DIY restoration of the space that has resulted in a charmingly cosy deli-style interior boasting neutral tones and furnishings and fixtures wrought from recycled hardwood timber sourced from The Big Red Shed. The Wilburs team also recruited local artist and sign maker Rick Hayward to etch the store’s red-and-gold lettering on the restored windows, adding a touch of old-school character to the building’s exterior. Although snug on the inside, Wilburs boasts room for a small amount of indoor bench seating as well as a sizeable pantry nook, the latter filled with an assortment of artisanal goods (everything from hot sauce to milk and eggs) sourced from small Australian businesses.

Atop the marble-topped counter sits Wilburs’ coffee machine and cabinet filled to the brim with freshly made goodies. Inside you’ll spy an assortment of conventional and baguette sandwiches loaded with salami, basil pesto and brie, roast beef, apple slaw and Swiss cheese, chicken, aioli and salad, and pumpkin and ricotta with hazelnut and mint pesto. Alex and Caitlyn use an assortment of fresh ingredients (including bread from Danny’s Bread and Sprout Artisan Bakery) as well as some of the goods available in the store’s larder. The cabinet is also where you’ll spot an assortment of cakes and sweets from the likes of Floss and Bakelist, while bircher pots are also on hand for those seeking a handy – and portable –breakfast. Speaking of breakfast, Wilburs General Store also sells a trio of made-to-order day starters, including a bacon-and-egg banh mi with chilli jam, a spicy fried mushroom banh mi with soft-fried eggs and a smashed avocado stack served with Persian fetta and pomegranate seeds. The Wilburs offering will shift with the seasons, and we’ve been told to expect a range of salads to be included in the offering soon. Elixir is supplying Wilburs with coffee, offering a blend for milk and black coffee alongside rotating single origins. Fresh juices, smoothies and drinks for kids round out the beverage offering, though a fridge over in the pantry is also stocked with sparkling sugar-free iced tea from Naked Life and sodas from Karma Drinks.

Wilburs General Store is now open to the public. Operating hours and extra info can be found in the Stumble Guide.