Sitting just south of Mooloolaba and Alexandra Headland, the slender suburb of Buddina is often overlooked by road-trippers burning up and down the Bruce Highway. Quiet and unassuming, this tiny beachfront pocket might be overshadowed by some of the glitzier strips dotted along the Sunshine Coast, but for James and Ashleigh Harcourt – owners of Buddina cafe Hey Day – it’s paradise. The Queensland-born duo, who returned to the Sunshine State in 2020 after a time living in Melbourne, opened the 40-seater cafe across the road from Kawana Shopping World in early March this year and instantly charmed caffeine-deprived locals with a mid-century-inspired interior aesthetic and a tack-sharp take on contemporary coffee service. “One day we were visiting my sister who lives really near Buddina and we were like, ‘Where do you get good coffee here?'” reflects James. “We couldn’t answer that question, hence Hey Day.” If you ask James and Ashleigh – who boast backgrounds in hospitality and retail buying, respectively – Hey Day’s genesis stretches back nearly a decade, with traces of the idea visible in business plans scrawled in notepads and saved on miscellaneous computer files. “It’s one of those things that’s been on the back of our minds, always in planning,” adds Ashleigh. “So we just went, yep, with our powers combined, we can do this.”

James and Ashleigh have fashioned a cafe that fuses their tastes, interests and expertise, creating a space that is tasteful in its look, discerning in its offering and relaxed in its atmosphere. “My brief [to make Hey Day] feel like a mid-century beach shack, because our furniture at home is all vintage mid-century,” says Ashleigh. “We wanted that to extend to the cafe.” A DIY fit-out – accomplished with the help of their friend, carpenter Lincoln Walker – resulted in a space boasting warm wood tones across the walls, coffee counter, and bench and table seating. This palette is accented by mustard cushions, clay-coloured hourglass stools, a sizeable pendant light from Hay Design and hanging artwork from Melbourne artist Hannah Nowlan, while artful flower arrangements from Yukari Botanicals resting in Asobimasu ceramic vessels add a softening touch. “We’ve had a couple of people say to us, ‘Oh, this cafe really feels like Melbourne.’ And we’re like, ‘Yeah, it’s probably not accidental,'” says Ashleigh, laughing. “We definitely didn’t wanna go for the stark coastal white – we wanted it to be much warmer and more welcoming than that.”

The coffee counter is James’ domain, where he is applying his extensive hospitality expertise (accumulated working at vaunted cafe institutions like ST. ALi, Top Paddock and Wide Open Road) to Hey Day’s curated caffeine selection. Leading the brew bar offering is a selection of filter coffees that rotates almost daily. “My main focus when I drink coffee filter and I wanted to have a selection for everyone,” says James. “We’ve got local roasters predominantly taking up real estate on our shelves, but we always showcase an interstate variety so that we can give a contrast to what’s going on here on the coast.” Coffee fanatics and those looking to broaden their palate can enjoy a tasting flight, which can feature four small six-oz cups or a piccolo, an espresso and two short batch brews, or order a refreshing coffee spritz (iced batch brew mixed with grapefruit soda). For fans of flat whites and lattes, Hey Day’s green Dip It Kustoms-painted La Marzocco machine dispenses the Moon Dog Blend from Eumundi Coffee Roasters, available alongside Mayde Tea, Hrvst St juices, Good Happy kombucha and small-batch sodas from Mischief Brew. On the food front, Hey Day serves a tight roster of deli-style sandwiches, with four core selections (plus a rotating special) including roast beef with truffle creme fraiche, ham, cheese and mild Italian chilli, and a classic Reuben. Also available are granola bowls, pastries from Tanglewood Bakery, smashed avocado on Sunshine Coast Sourdough Co, and crumpets from Jeremiah’s Crust.

Hey Day is now open seven days a week from 6:00 am to 2:00 pm Monday through Friday, and from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm on weekends.