A new cafe will open next Monday in Tweed Heads and it will be good for people, good for the community and good for the planet too.
The Brett Street C.A.F.E. (Community Access For Everyone) is in the newly-upgraded plaza precinct at the Tweed Heads Civic and Cultural Centre.
The cafe is a Tweed Shire Council social enterprise initiative and will be a convenient and welcoming place to grab a coffee and healthy snack, while knowing that the money you spend is doing good the cafe is good for people: Local disadvantaged people will be employed and trained. The location is convenient with healthy food on offer at a welcoming place to connect with others; good for the planet: Packaging, food waste, energy and water use will all be minimised in the cafe’s operations; and, good for community: The cafe will fund programs to help disadvantaged people in the Tweed thrive, as well as revitalising the public areas of the Tweed Heads Civic and Cultural Centre.
Council’s Coordinator Community Services Joanne Watters said the main purpose of the cafe was to help disadvantaged people in the Tweed to thrive.
‘It will be wonderful to support local disadvantaged people in the Tweed to enter the workforce and provide long-term benefits from this opportunity,’ said Ms Watters.
‘It’s also great to see the public areas of the Tweed Heads Civic and Cultural Centre revitalised and provide somewhere for people to meet and connect over coffee.
‘Another big priority is running the cafe with a focus on sustainability and looking after the planet.
‘We will make positive steps to protect the environment by offering reusable items, a water refill station, sustainable packaging, and ensuring food waste is minimised and then composted plus more,’ she said.
Income from the cafe will support the delivery of Council Community Services programs such as MisterChef, which supports older men who may need to learn to cook for themselves. Another program to benefit is Stand Together, which increases understanding of the risks of falls and how to prevent them.
A cafe supervisor, Allan Gibson, has recently been recruited who has many years’ experience in hospitality, as well as a background in working with disadvantaged people. He is looking forward to helping make a difference in the Tweed community.
‘The cafe will train and employ one local person each year but depending on the success of the cafe, we are hoping we can increase the number of staff we employ,’ said Ms Watters.
Apart from supporting local people, the cafe will be convenient and offer healthy choices and great coffee and will be a welcoming place to meet and relax.
The cafe is the last piece of the $1.2 million Tweed Heads Civic and Cultural Centre redevelopment which is now complete. The upgraded facility includes an outdoor plaza with a direct pathway for easier access to the library and auditorium and Council’s Tweed Heads Administration Office, contemporary landscaping, an improved drop-off area, accessible parking, better lighting and a more accessible after-hours library book return. A technical upgrade of the auditorium was also completed.
The project is jointly funded by the Australian Government’s Building Better Regions Fund and Tweed Shire Council. An official opening is planned for 6 March 2020.
For more information about the Brett St Cafe visit www.brettstreetcafe.com.au.
