Overview
The sight of a big, colourful sunflower is enough to put a smile on just about anybody's face. In Brisbane, this uplifting feeling can be a weekly occurrence, as the Sunny Truck pulls up at the Kelvin Grove Village Markets every Saturday from 6am–1pm. Founded by graphic designer Lucy Tann, this sunflower-slinging microbusiness can brighten your day in more ways than one.
Parked beneath a towering fig tree, the tray of a slightly battered truck overflows with buckets of freshly cut sunflowers. Yet from its position tucked between buskers and fruiterers, Sunny Truck aims to be more than just a place for people to shop singles and bunches, pleasant as they may be. Just as important is providing a tight-knit community hub.
Running her design business online, Tann began to feel like she lacked connection. Even after returning to Brisbane from Magnetic Island, her proximity to inner-city life did little to solve the problem. Instead, Tann set about creating her own community, with locals now making their way to Sunny Truck to get stems, but perhaps more significantly, to stop for a chat.
Now, this growing Saturday morning ritual is on the rise, with Tann regularly selling out within just a couple of hours. And on the days she doesn't, the flowers are donated to aged care homes or bought by local cafes. "I think people are craving something unguarded and real," says Lucy. "The truck has given that to me and I think maybe it's giving that to others, too."
