Overview
If you build it, they will come. Those famous words from the movie Field of Dreams have been overused since the late 80s, but they apply to Single O's Newstead outpost. It took 20 years for the Australian coffee roaster to launch a Brisbane base, opting for a 16-seater caffeine-slinging bar. Less than a year after opening in August 2023, the brand has already extended the site due to the response, nearly doubling it to create a 29-seater cafe.
"When we first opened our cafe in Queensland last year, we got a great reception from the locals, and already started hatching a plan for an expanded space. We've been part of Brissie's thriving hospo scene for a number of years now, and it's been exciting to see the food and coffee culture continue to grow at an exponential rate," explains Single O CEO Mike Brabant.
"Single O Newstead, with its extra space, dishes, coffees and sustainability initiatives, gives us the chance to really showcase what we're all about, while also retaining our coffee training and distribution space to service our local cafe clients. It's the best of both worlds, and feels like a natural progression for us".
The initial blueprint for Newstead spanned pouring Single O's own brews, of course, including via its self-serve tap system that had previously proven a hit in its cafes in both Sydney and Tokyo. The Austin Street spot gave the Sunshine State its first coffee-on-tap setup, with the filter brews on offer rotating through single-origin batch options, plus Single O's beloved oat iced latte earning the tap treatment. None of that has changed — and neither has making standout sips made on La Marzocco machines, with customers drinking them in Malcolm Greenwood's ceramic cups.
That said, there are some additions beyond the extra places to sit, starting with the space itself — with Lucheti Krelle on design duties and Gibson Building Group building the fitout. A skylight is now brightening up the place, while banquette seating awaits, as does a standing bar, plus wallpaper art made from Single O's own coffee bags. Cork, metal pipes and wood feature prominently — all with sustainability in mind, such as pipes from hydraulic manufacturing waste — and a loan-a-mug scheme has been implemented.
The coffee and food offering has also been expanded, complete with coffee flights. Opt for the origin three-way flight and you'll get what the name suggests: one single-origin brew served as a filter espresso, flat white and the manual pour-over that is the V60, whether you're just keen to give all three a whirl or can't decide between them.
As for what you'll be tucking into, alongside toasties and pastries the dine-in range now features a grazing plate with gravlax, boiled egg, lemon and dill kraut, avocado, dill crème fraîche and Agnes Bakery rye; the Turkish dish cilbir, aka a poached egg with tomato and harissa braised chickpeas, as well as zhoug, whipped feta labneh, chilli oil and sourdough; and a LP's pork sausage paired with caramelised onion, smoked ketchup, parmesan and dill pickle. Yes, The Avo Show (avocado on toast, but Single O's eye-catching version) remains a staple.
Taking away now means picking between onigiris, with The Avo Show popping up there, too (with guacamole, chilli mayo and achiote cashew cheese).
The Newstead venue is still Single O's distribution and training facility for its wholesalers, aka the places you've been drinking its coffee at in Brisbane before mid-2023.
2024 is shaping up to be a huge year for Single O not just with the expansion of its Brisbane site, but also in Tokyo. The brand now newly boasts not one but two cafes in the Japanese capital, and a Shibuya coffee bar is on the way in July.
In the River City's coffee scene, it's also been a big period, after Toby's Estate launched its new Brisbane flagship and Fonzie Abbott opened a fourth location, all also in Newstead.
Find Single O's Newstead cafe at 16 Austin Street, Newstead — operating from 6.30am–2.30pm Monday–Friday and 7am–2.30pm Saturday–Sunday.
Images: Your Visual Journey.