Now Open: The Family Behind Merlo Coffee Continues Its Legacy in Bowen Hills with the Arrival of Milano Bakehouse
Best-known for its coffee roasting traditions, the Merlo family is expanding into European-influenced baked goods for its next venture.
A buttery pastry goes down a treat when paired with tasty coffee. Fortunately, a new spot just opened in Bowen Hills offers the best of both worlds. Launched by Dean Merlo, the brains behind long-standing Queensland roastery, Merlo Coffee, he's breaking into the artisan baking scene with the arrival of Milano Bakehouse right next door to its existing cafe.
The move represents just the latest chapter in the Merlo family's culinary legacy, with the bakery named after the dynasty's Milanos. A silver-service restaurant, it proved a big hit with the upper crust of the 1960s from its home on Queen Street Mall. Guided by Dean's father, Gino, his reputation for warm service and impeccable standards saw visiting dignitaries like Queen Elizabeth II and Pope John Paul II swing by for a bite.
While Milano Bakehouse probably won't be receiving such luminaries just yet, guests can expect the bakery to offer a similarly sophisticated European flair. Prepped with state-of-the-art equipment, the menu will include 30 pastries and 25 breads, inspired by French and Italian traditions. Plus, adding the bakery to the cafe setup makes it an even more alluring destination when seeking a different class of beans to sip.
"We are also reimagining our menu offerings at our Bowen Hills Merlo cafe to include an authentic Italian touch — taking full advantage of the fresh artisan goods baked within the building, a process which patrons can see for themselves, first-hand from behind the glass, just next door to our popular cafe," says Dean.
In the kitchen, Dean and his business partner James Wilkinson have assembled a dream team of baking talent. Leading the crew is French Head Baker, Thomas Meneau, who has the busy task of producing around a thousand baked goods day in and day out, including sourdough batard, baguettes and croissants. He's developed the menu alongside renowned Brisbane restaurateur and former Montrachet co-owner, Shannon Kellam.
"Our team, led by Shannon — celebrated for his excellence, innovation, and mentorship in the fine-dining restaurant industry — has been working hard with the highest attention to detail to finesse our baking processes," says Dean, who quips that his mother has also helped with taste-testing. "[That's] the true Merlo way of hospitality — making sure that our family delivers the very best possible experience for our loyal, long-standing customers who we've been serving for generations."
Milano Bakehouse opens on Saturday, July 5, at 10 Thompson Street, Bowen Hills. Head to the website for more information.
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