Taking a shine to the daily grind
Husband and wife team opens new Ruthven St cafe
A LONG-TERM dream has become a reality for Toowoomba husband and wife team Tenzin Norbu and Sara Poolsirisook, opening their first cafe.
Copper Bench, at 428 Ruthven St, is the latest addition to the city’s growing cafe scene.
Using coffee beans from Noosa-based Clandestino Roasters, Mr Norbu said the vision and goal of the new cafe was to support local, give back to the community and protect the environment, all while providing an excellent experience to customers.
To that end, Mr Norbu said all their food was made inhouse and sourced locally where they could.
“It’s modern cafe food. It took a long time to come up with the menu - something fresh and different yet with Toowoomba’s tastes in mind,” he said.
He also uses biodegradable, environmentally-friendly products where possible.
After arriving in Toowoomba in 1999, Mr Norbu worked in retail for more than a decade, before moving into hospitality and managing a cafe for three years.
“Me and my wife, we wanted to do this for a long time,” Mr Norbu said.
He said the business environment had been a little tough in recent years, which had put them off starting their new venture. But things fell into place when he met property owner Mitchell Bernoth, and after an extensive renovation of the shop - which once housed the Shingle Inn - Copper Bench is ready to trade.
Mr Norbu said the name came about because he and his wife always liked copper - a metal spiritually known to revitalise and heal.
“So we just thought this is what we want this place to be for people to come here and revitalise and rejuvenate.”