Opening their cafe four years ago, “my business partner and I wanted to stop working for others and start putting our time and energy into a project that aligns with values that we care about,” said co-owner Will Fisher.
These values are “food, fitness and community.”
This also ties in with their choice of location. “Braddon is seen as a lifestyle, food and entertainment district in Canberra.
“Our café product benefits from the positioning and alignments with our target demographics that Braddon provides; [its] proximity to gyms and fitness centers, close to offices and workplaces as well. Plus the walking traffic provides awesome visibility for the cafe,” Will said.
“There are so many great operators and diverse businesses in Braddon, and we are so happy to contribute our part to the product mix and variety that keeps Braddon an exciting food and entertainment destination.
“We have friends everywhere, Evan from LSR, Ricky from Alcove, Stu from Volsted, Becky from Zaab, Talia from Rizla, Troy from Knightsbridge, Jared and Ben from Lazy Su, just to name a few in Braddon. And it’s not about competing against each other, it’s more about complementing and raising the bar together.”
Also, “being in Braddon we love the ability to connect with our locals and be a part of their daily lives.
“We have so many guests that we see everyday, sometimes twice a day. We love the culture of the community and the energy hub that Braddon is. Sometimes when I stop in to have breakfast or lunch, I’ll see friends of mine from all different circles all gathered. Some close friends, some I play sport with, some I work with, some old friends, [and] friends of friends whom I’ve met along the way.”
The business has a team of “about 20 people across the venue, from café manager Marcelo Molina, baristas, FOH rockstars to executive chef Josh Smith-Thirkell – aka chef of the year – [along with a] head chef, kitchen staff and everything in between.”
Importantly, “we are a health food focused café offering dine-in and take-away meals, locally-roasted coffee by Lonsdale St Roasters, house-made kombucha and juices made by our team, and of course our food philosophy forms part of our Gather office and event catering.
“We are also about to complete our venue expansion to include a wine bar and restaurant to be opened in the middle of September, bringing more energy and variety to Braddon, staying true to our regional approach to ingredients and our fun and engaging style of food This time for evenings running parallel to our trade in the mornings,” Will announced.
In terms of customer behavior, “much has changed for us as operators in the past few years,” Will said.
“Excluding the impacts of COVID on society, we have seen a shift in the needs and expectations of the guests, shifting to a more considered and conscious approach to food and service.
“We’ve noticed the focus is now more than ever about the alignment of; ‘my daily activities and habits with those of my values and choice’. Now more than ever people are making choices that add value to their quality and enjoyment of life and time.
“Connectedness to their ingredients, to their servers and their local businesses including the choices of dining options gives an opportunity to engage and support their community. And we think that this is an important shift in the ways that our regulars and Canberrans are moving.”