TASTY TREATS ON THE MENU
A TASTE of the fine food and coffee of Melbourne has come to Townsville with the opening of 3Sisters Cafe in Park Haven Medical Centre in Hyde Park.
It is the venture of chef Paula Harris who has returned to North Queensland after spending more than 30 years refining her craft in Australia’s gourmet capital.
She has leased a large cafe space in the medical centre, which is being refreshed and upgraded after its acquisition by southern-based investors last year for $6.5m.
“We are bringing a touch of Melbourne to Townsville. My husband and I have been in Melbourne for 35 years. I am coming back home with the experience I have,” Ms Harris said.
“I am passionate about coffee and good homemade food. I pretty much make everything from scratch.”
After training under a Spanish chef in Cannonvale, Ms Harris has worked in cafes, restaurants and hotels in Melbourne, as well as teaching hospitality in the Victorian education sector.
She and her husband, Andrew, who is also something of a connoisseur of coffee, have moved north for a lifestyle change and to escape the cold.
“I thought running a cafe in Townsville suited me at this stage of life. The kids are out of home and doing their own thing, I have family here that I haven’t seen for a long time regularly and the warm weather, wow,” Ms Harris said.
Andrew works in information technology but Paula said he had dabbled in roasting coffee and was passionate about the “science” of its brewing. He is partly behind the cafe’s Modbar counter design where the coffee machine is installed underneath the benchtop, giving customers more contact with the barista and where they can see how the coffee is made.
Colliers Townsville executive Shaun Mclaren said 3Sisters had leased the 150sq m cafe space for five years, which also boasted a large outdoor seating area.
Mr Mclaren said the property had been refurbished with new flooring, painting and landscaping. A new lift is also being installed.
“It is a great spot and Paula has moved here from Melbourne after having enough of the Covid lockdowns and dreary weather,” Mr Mclaren said.
“It is great to see Paula take
over the cafe space and give the place a fresh and modern presentation.”
He said the centre had three vacancies with spaces of 75 sqm, 91sq m and 486sq m available.