News
3 December, 2024
Fernvale cafe brews back-to-back award
A Fernvale cafe has taken home the title of Somerset’s best cafe for the second year in a row.
Tree Change Cafe was voted by customers as the winner of the Somerset District on November 26, as part of the Coffee Commune’s Love My Cafe awards, with almost 800 cafes across Queensland entering the competition under 23 ‘districts’.
Owners Cara Jay Maden, also known as CJ, and Elissa Costin, who have owned Tree Change Cafe for three and a half years, said they were still “gobsmacked” about winning for a second year in a row.
“The biggest thing for us is that, since it’s based on customer votes, it makes us realise we’re doing something right and the way we set it up,” CJ said.
“There’s some really scary statistics out there about small cafes succeeding in this day and age and to know we’re still a favourite amongst our community is what keeps us going.”
When speaking of the decor and choice of design for the cafe, which definitely stands out from the crowd, CJ and Elissa said their goal was to “bring the outside inside”, and giving customers a place to escape their busy days.
Some of their decor include plants everywhere, heaps of clocks, all showing a random time, and ornaments hanging from the ceiling.
“We love nature and we wanted to be able to create a little green oasis in the middle of the Brisbane Valley Highway, so we can feel like we’re outdoors even though we’re at work,” CJ said.
Elissa added that the best part about their jobs “is seeing regular customers.”
Founder and Managing Director of The Coffee Commune, Phillip Di Bella, emphasised how important it is for communities to support local cafes.
“At a time when one in ten Queensland cafes are closing their doors, it’s more important than ever that we support our local hospitality,” he said.
“For the first time in my 35 years in the coffee industry, all costs are increasing simultaneously; 30 per cent of cafes are running at a loss, only 10 per cent are making a profit and 60 per cent are just breaking even.
“Many of the cafes that stand out are those that create a homely and community-based atmosphere.”
