A new cafe has opened on the Coast, bringing a retro-inspired menu and specialty coffee offering to the local dining scene.
Milk Bar Alex has opened in Alexandra Headland, with owner Simon O’Brien drawing on almost two decades of experience in the hospitality industry for his latest venture.
Mr O’Brien, who lives in Buddina, said the location appealed because of its history as an established cafe site and his connection to the area.
“I’ve been surfing here for the last 15 years or so,” he said.
“I knew the history of what the place had under the previous cafe’s owners. That gave me a lot of confidence to take it on.”
Mr O’Brien previously founded Lava Lava Coffee, which grew from a coffee cart into a business with nine locations across Australia. Milk Bar Alex is his first venture on the Sunshine Coast.
Since opening in June, the business has received an encouraging response, despite launching during the quieter winter period.
“A lot of locals are coming in, coming back and supporting us and local businesses,” Mr O’Brien said.
The cafe’s focus is premium coffee, with its own Sunrise blend roasted locally on the Sunshine Coast.
“We’ve really positioned ourselves as a premium coffee shop above everything else,” Mr O’Brien said.
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The menu takes inspiration from Australian milk bars of the 1980s, featuring burgers, fries, waffles with ice cream, milkshakes and hot dogs.
The cafe also offers a range of specialty cold drinks, including the Sunrise Latte, made with turmeric, vanilla cold foam and cinnamon sugar.
The owner said food was prepared fresh to order, with the business using beef tallow for frying and avoiding seed oils.
“You won’t find a cake or sandwich counter here,” he added.
The retro theme continues through the fit-out, with two authentic pinball machines from the 1980s and 1990s and a playlist featuring music from the same era.
The cafe opens early each morning, with Mr O’Brien aiming to cater for runners, residents and workers starting their day.
“We open at 5.30am, which places us as the earliest in this area,” he said.
The cafe is located at 156 Alexandra Parade, Alexandra Headland, opposite the surf club, and is open daily from 5.30am to 3pm.
