Corner Store Café, Brisbane

Visiting the local corner store is a tradition that I think most of us have adopted. From post-sport lolly purchases as a kid, to lazy Sunday morning strolls for the paper, the corner store is a true Australian feature, and since 2011 it has brought us something new… Meet the Corner Store Café – my beloved local café, best enjoyed early in the mornings before the barrage of cyclists shuffle in. Not only is it my safe haven for the best breakfast food in Brisbane, but it also has a really great design aesthetic that I would love to share with you all… Located in Brisbane’s inner-western suburb of Toowong, the Corner Store Café seamlessly blends in with the quiet suburban life and incorporates the old with the new. The owners, Kim and Michael Malouf, with help from Brisbane design firm Richards and Spence, reclaimed an old 1940’s corner store cottage turning it into one of Brisbane’s best cafes. They’ve honoured the past by keeping the original cottage’s façade, merely painting it a fresh crisp white to keep things contemporary, but the extension’s clever patio concept is where the buzz happens. Beautiful red bricks line the bottom of the extension offering a welcomed pop of colour amongst the glossy white subway tiles, white ceiling, and the white timber cottage. With hot Queensland summers in mind, the extension is open on both ends allowing for a cool breeze, amplified by the concrete flooring and ceiling fans. Warm timber chairs and fixed tables soften the space and allow for a maximised seating capacity without feeling too overcrowded. A beautiful organic herb and vegetable garden fills the backyard, providing patrons with the freshest of ingredients and delightful views. Back inside the cottage lays a gastronomic grocery with fresh flowers delivered daily, an open kitchen, and a more intimate dining setting. Colourful bulbs float above the tables, which along with the exposed shelving, marries this section with the patio extension outside. A tiled counter with freshly baked goods on display farewells patrons as they walk out, so like it’s predecessor, everyone can walk away from the Corner Store with something in hand. Corner Store Cafe 113 Sylvan Road Toowong QLD 4066 [gallery columns="4" ids="30757,30758,30759,30760,30761,30762,30763,30764,30765,30766,30767,30768,30769,30770,30771"]