Entering Blackboard Varsity you get the feels. It’s a chilled place where you feel comfortable. Some patrons are working on laptops, others sipping coffee or talking to friends. Staff smile and say hello in passing. It strikes me that this is a happy place, ‘inclusive’ in every way. ‘Good times daily in the heart of...

NOTE: Miu Coffee has been rebranded Royal Le Restaurant. Royal Le is a new sweet spot for Chirn Park locals. It’s a place where everyone is invited to gather, catch up over coffee or an interesting meal. The Gold Coast is made up of many communities, each with their own distinct vibe. Locals eat, drink...

There are few suburbs on the Gold Coast built to encourage a sense of community well-being, however Emerald Lakes is one of them. Oozing the charm of a modern European-inspired village, its centre is surrounded by a village, an 18-hole golf course and clubhouse, along with 13 kilometres of walking and bike tracks around a...

Grazeway, the latest café to pop up in Nerang, is a great addition to the developing Tibbing Street food precinct. For Akita and Christian, owners of Grazeway Café in Nerang, their business is about art. The art of food. Fresh and bright, the new venue focuses on Modern Australian café cuisine, bringing a younger demographic...

Nestled beside the lake in the middle of The Promenade at Robina Town Centre, Double Zero brings a little piece of Italy to the heart of Robina. From owner Sara Artoni’s welcoming smile to the traditional handmade Italian food emerging from her husband Gianluca’s kitchen, this is a dining experience made with passion. After all,...

Little Mermaid is a haven for the Mermaid Beach ‘coastal community with a village feel’. It’s a home away from home for many, a place to hang out with friends, and a venue with the vibes they love. “This venue has been created with one clear vision,” Little Mermaid’s website states, “to foster friendships, generate...

Hazel Nguyen’s eponymous café, Hazel Espresso, is a place of passion. Named after Hazel by her partner and co-owner, Long Tran, Hazel Espresso is dedicated to a fusion of cultures, flavours and colours. In fact, that’s exactly what gets our attention. Having left their jobs as hospitality managers in Melbourne, Hazel and Long have opened...

There were waves of anticipation among foodies when Brenda Fawdon and Sonja Drexler embarked on their latest project, North Stores. The venue comprises three buildings, an environmentally sustainable and architecturally designed food, art and nature hub in Main Street, North Tamborine. After three years of planning and development, North Stores finally opened in 2021. It...

Milk Money Espresso harks back to simpler times when milk was such a necessity that milk money was put aside in a tin to make sure it wasn’t spent elsewhere.   Now, for many people, the daily espresso is equivalent to ‘milk money’, a mental health essential that fires up the day and makes life...

NOTE: This cafe changed owners and name late in 2022. It is now called Cafe Bar Dokidoki. We are assured that its menu remains unchanged. …… One of the strategies employed by business is to locate your establishment as close as possible to the opposition. So, when Raijin opened right beside the esteemed Cafoo Izakaya,...