Overview
Feeling peeved about the rising cost of your morning latte? Give your bank account a break without quitting the caffeine when ALDI opens the doors to its new corner store concept in the CBD today.
Melbourne's first ALDI Corner Store hits Swanston Street from Thursday, September 8 and, to kick things off, it's welcoming punters with cups of barista-brewed Lazzio coffee for just 37 cents each — the same price it'd cost if you bought the beans and made it at home yourself. You can nab your blisteringly cheap cuppa from the store's pop-up coffee cart, only on September 8 and 9, with all profits donated to Camp Quality.
While the coffee cart is temporary, the Corner Store will be sticking around for the foreseeable future, stocked with a range of grab-and-go meals, artisan baked goods and even the odd ALDI Special Buy. City workers — you're about to get a whole lot more bang for your buck when it comes to that weekly lunchbreak budget.
On the shelves, you'll find bites ranging from wraps and sandwiches (maybe cheese and tomato chutney or a chicken BLT), to rice paper rolls and sushi (think, tuna avocado maki rolls and mixed seafood nigiri). There are danishes both sweet and savoury, plus goodies like almond croissants, cinnamon buns and pain au chocolat. The in-store bakery will also be slinging an exclusive, locally-baked Grain + Stone artisan sourdough bread, along with loaves ranging from olive and basil to a seedy wholewheat.
The store itself has been designed with time-poor lunchbreak shoppers in mind, boasting easy navigation and self-serve checkouts. It's even decked out with a commissioned mural by local artist George Rose for an extra splash of Melbourne flavour.
ALDI has had a few new tricks up its sleeve of late — in July, Sydney scored an ALDI pop-up bar with budget-friendly wine and cheese, while the supermarket brand's pop-up dumpling truck was slinging hot gyoza to the people of Bankstown just last month.
Find the ALDI Corner Store at 501 Swanston Street, Melbourne CBD, from September 8. It's open from 8.30am on weekdays and from 8am on weekends. The Lazzio coffee cart will be slinging 37-cent coffees on September 8 and 9, with proceeds donated to Camp Quality. BYO reusable cup and Aldi will double the donation.