A ‘much-loved’ coffee cart has been given notice to shut down after it was found to be operating illegally on a Sunshine Coast driveway.
Trading from the home of a Coast hairdressing couple, the mobile coffee van has become popular with locals around the Kawana beach vicinity in the past 12 months.
While the business has the correct licensing to operate in a mobile form at events, Sunshine Coast Council has told Sunshine Coast News is not authorised for use at a private property under council zoning laws.
The council said the Lowanna Drive address in Buddina was zoned for low density residential, which did not allow for the operation of food and drink outlets.
It serves as a reminder to other businesses to ensure they were operating withing their legal limits.
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Meegan Brien and her husband Bayden began the Saintz and Sinnerz Coffee Co van two years ago, with the repurposed horse float primarily frequenting events at the weekends.
After opening their at-home hair salon in December 2021, they decided to use the van to serve coffee to their clients.
It has organically become a much-loved fixture for residents around Lowanna Drive to grab a morning coffee, opening from 7.30am to 1pm Tuesday to Friday.
Ms Brien told SCN the coffee business had been given until December 30 to stop operating at the property after a complaint had been made to the council.
She said they were unaware that operating from their home was not within their current business permit.
“We use it as ancillary to our salon – so it services our salon clients,” she said.
“(The council has) come in and declared it a café – a fully built-in café – or in turn a food and drink outlet, which is a retail store.
“I can have a service – like the hair salon – but I can’t serve coffee.
“They say it’s against the low-density laws.”
A Sunshine Coast Council spokesperson confirmed the council had received a complaint in November and that the business was operating unlawfully from its driveway location.
The spokesperson told Sunshine Coast News the property was zoned low density residential under the Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014.
“Operation of a mobile coffee van is defined as a food and drink outlet use,” the spokesperson said.
“In order for the coffee van to operate legally from this property, a material change of use development application would need to be lodged with council and approved.
“The coffee van operators have been advised to cease activity, relocate to a more suitable premises, or lodge a development application to seek an approval for this food and drink outlet use on this property.”
Ms Brien said they were working to comply with the council and potentially gain permission to operate in a public space near the Kawana Surf Club on Pacific Boulevard.
The couple had also begun a petition to continue drumming up support, which has more than 1000 signatures.
“Our alternative would be to operate near the surf club a couple of days a week.
“We are trying to give them options and be compliant and cooperate with them.
“We have all the support from all our neighbours and people in the area.
“We are not trying to be a giant business we just want to service our salon customers and the locals within our immediate vicinity.”
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