While money can often be a driving force when it comes to informing business decisions, for Paul Rosenkranz and Alex Mears it was the opportunity to pursue a passion and make people happy that provided the ultimate motivation to get into the coffee game back in 2020. As the owners of Burleigh Heads’ much-loved Quest Coffee Roastery and Cafe, they’ve seen the business through some tough times, keeping locals caffeinated during Covid. As foodies at heart, Alex and Paul always dreamed of sharing their love of food, in particular salads, with Gold Coast taste buds, and so, they began scouting locations for a new food-centric cafe concept. Their search led them to The Spot building in Broadbeach where they were immediately drawn to the industrial vibe of the space. “We like places that are functional and utilitatiran, with no frills,” Alex says of Banksy’s aesthetic, which features a scattering of high tables inside, as well as a few picnic tables outside. There’s a coffee window to the side, which is perfect for those looking to grab-and-go or those with pooches in tow. “Each of our venues has its focus – Quest Cafe focuses on beverages, the roastery is the beans and the food is the focus at Banksy,” Alex says.

When it comes to the menu, before you go ahead and start reciting that tired old phrase about friends and salad (you know the one), the salads at Banksy are anything but boring. “We love salads, but it’s hard to find a tasty one,” Alex says. “When you go to fancy restaurants, they will usually have a salad that is amazing but it’s hard to find a place where it’s the focus.” If you too enjoy a good salad, Banksy dishes up a rotating salad menu with everything from a wombok creation to a Mexican quinoa and grilled corn. There are plans to have eight on rotation, so you’ll never tire of the selection. Not a fan of salad? Fret not, there’s plenty of other tasty dishes ranging from a Berrylicious Bowl, which is kind of like an acai bowl but instead of using the Brazilian fruit it uses seasonal Australian produce, to the hunger-smashing Banksy Big Breakfast that contains coffee-marinated bacon, two eggs, slow-roasted tomatoes, garlic mushrooms and haloumi on sourdough. For those who prefer savoury over sweet, Banksy’s Umami Spinach Oats are a must-try with green scallions, spinach and a fried egg, and there’s a mouth-watering array of toasties that feature a Banksy twist.

“The goal of hospitality is to be hospitable to others and we love making people happy,” Alex says. Named after their adorable Hungarian Vizsla, who is often on-hand to greet customers with an enthusiastic tail wag, it’s hard not to be happy here, sipping coffee in the sunshine. Another big drawcard is that Alex and Paul are committed to supporting small businesses and empowering individuals. Alex has put his background in IT to excellent use creating efficient systems to ensure complete traceability for all of their products. “We want to work in a business where everything we do, we do it in a way that doesn’t make the world a worse place,” Alex says. “Being in this role in this business, we want to make our team happy, we want to make our customers happy but we also want to do right by the world.”

Banksy Bar & Kitchen is now open. Check out our Stumble Guide for opening times.