SOCIAL SUCCESS

There’s a new brew in town as a well-loved Burleigh eatery branches out to Paradise Point, writes Sally Coates

IT’S happening Gold Coast: the north are embracing the south’s hipster ways.

Social Brew, one of Burleigh’s best-known cafes, has crossed the postcode pride divide and opened its doors at Paradise Point. Mike Dowling is one of three owners of the Burleigh site, but being a northerner himself went out on his own to open Social Brew Paradise Point.

“I wasn’t worried about the locals embracing the concept at all because I’m a local,” he says.

“I knew there were people travelling all the way to Burleigh because they were desperate for something like what Social Brew is so well known for. The brand itself is a great concept. There are a lot of different tastes now and I think Social Brew caters for them all without discriminating.”

The Social Brew concept embraces fresh, wholefood trends.

Words such as raw, organic, cold-pressed, gluten free and vegan are all right at home on the menu, making for meals that have gained cult status.

“It’s fresh food, raw food, healthy food, great coffee – everyone’s talking about the coffee – and overall just friendly,” Mike says.

“The decor is different, totally different, to anywhere I’ve been before. There are hanging plants everywhere.

“Breakfast and lunch is mainly based off the Burleigh menu, but with a few small changes or additions. Now that I’ve made those changes we’re actually looking at the Burleigh menu to see if we can strengthen that.”

Breakfast presents a range of modern classics – acai, Bircher muesli, smashed avo – and dishes more iconic to Social Brew – brewed super greens, the wellness board and the social stack.

The liquid list has been a huge drawcard for the Burleigh cafe, and Mike is seeing the same pattern forming at Paradise Point, with the huge range of cold-pressed juices and smoothies formulated with maximum goodness in mind.

The dinner menu is where Social Brew 2.0 strays from the well-foraged path. It’s been formulated with fun in mind.

“A lot of it is based off Burleigh except we’re licensed up here and we do dinner from Thursday to Sunday,” Mike says.

“The type of food we have available for dinners is not the mandatory steak or seafood – we have them on the menu, but you can have fish tacos or zucchini pizza, gourmet sausages or pork ribs, salads, pies and a range of cabinet items. “There’s more than 65 items on the menu.” Mike also expects grazing platters to be a drawcard, especially with the backdrop of the Paradise Point Esplanade.

“When I was imagining this place I always wanted to be licensed and I always wanted platters – not tapas, platters,” he says. “Families can come, sit, relax and spend time. “We’ve got the benefit of the park and the water opposite, whereas at Burleigh we’re tucked into the mall, almost like a cubbyhouse.

“While the two cafes are the same concept there are some major differences that make each one unique.”

Social Brew Paradise Point, Shop 3/4 34 The Esplanade, Paradise Point