The details
The LC is the brainchild of local entrepreneur Abbey Jones, the owner and operator of Mermaid Beach cruelty-free and vegan fashion boutique Lovechild Place, who set out to create a casual dining experience with delicious day-and-night food options that would appeal to everyone, from carnivores to vegans. Think of The LC as a collective of eateries, with five plant-based kitchens operating in a market-style setting. In addition to the five eateries, there’s The LC bar area, which will be pouring craft beers and colourful cocktails on the daily. The two-storey building, formerly a motorised scooter shop, has undergone a massive transformation and now cuts a striking bright-white figure along the Gold Coast Highway, complete with tree-lined alfresco seating for around 150.

The food and drink
The LC opens seven days and boasts a unique mix of tenants, allowing you to get everything from a coffee and bagel in the morning, to an eye-catching salad at midday, right through to late-night ramen and kebabs. Here’s a rundown of what’s on offer:

Flora by Greenhouse
The talented ladies from the popular Greenhouse Canteen + Bar in Miami and Coolangatta (a new Brisbane venue is on the way too) have expanded with their first daytime eatery. Flora by Greenhouse will be open at 7:00 am daily, serving Allpress coffee, bagels, vegan bacon and egg muffins, breakfast boxes filled with hot-and-hearty options like hash browns, baked beans and scrambled tofu, loaded sandwiches (hello eggplant parmigiana toastie), vibrant salads, kombucha and fresh juices.

Flour of Life Bakery
Here you’ll find all of your bakery classics, from not-sausage rolls to iced doughnuts, croissants, lamingtons, custard tarts, apple pies, and big-as-your-head vanilla slices – and there’s not an animal product in sight. This is the second venue for renowned Helensvale-based bakery Flour of Life, which is well-known on the northern Gold Coast for its delicious vegan goodies, including the carnivore-fooling bolognese pie.

BVK (Burgers vs Kebabs)
The LC’s owner and curator Abbey Jones has joined forces with the owner of Flour of Life Bakery to bring American-style eatery BVK to life. For plant-based eaters, burger joints and kebab shops would normally be the last place you’d go to for a gnaw – but BVK is shaking things up by serving up meatless burgers with classic fillings like cheese, sauce, lettuce and fried onions, as well as doner-style vegan kebabs (where the meat-like protein is shaved from a vertical rotisserie) and, of course, crispy fries.

i like ramen 
After a few years doing the rounds at local markets and a regular weekly kitchen takeover at Bine in Nobby Beach, i like ramen finally has its first bricks-and-mortar space. Slurp on bowls of goodness like the chick’n white-miso ramen, the spicy kimchi ramen, and the bright-green spinach ramen served in a clear broth with fresh bok choy and wakame. Hot tip – throw a few panko-crumbed mushrooms and some kimchi potatoes on the side.

By Gigi 
Sydney’s popular Italian eatery Gigi Pizzeria, known for famously making a plant-based shift a few years back, has made the move north, nestling into the front section of The LC marketplace. By Gigi serves Neapolitan-style plant-based pizzas by the slice, with uncomplicated flavours from a vegan Margherita to the simple-yet-tasty potato, garlic and rosemary. The By Gigi space also incorporates a vegan gelato bar, serving cups and cones of authentic Italian gelato – perfect for a sweet finisher.

Everything else
The LC has an intentionally casual setting and very relaxed vibe. Grab your table, then wander through and choose whether you’ll indulge in a burger, opt for slurp-worthy vegan ramen or a slice (or three) of pizza. It’s a marketplace, so you’ll order and pay at each individual venue – and everything is available takeaway if you want to grab and go. For now, it’s just the ground level that is operational. In a few months time, The LC’s upstairs area will open, which will feature a cruelty-free retail boutique, an additional dining area and a balcony with bar-style seating overlooking the highway.