BEACH BUZZ

Mermaid locals are making a beeline for tasty treats and bee-autiful breakfasts that won’t sting the wallet, writes Sally Coates

HONEY Bee and Saint is Mermaid’s latest hospitality hive, with royal hues of blue and sunny splashes of yellow catching the eyes of passers-by.

Melissa Tocker is the honey bee and Larisa Donovan (pictured) is the saint.

“My business partner, Melissa, is Greek and her name in Greek means honey bee,” Larisa explains.

“And I’m the saint. There’s a Saint Larisa but also I love to help people ... the more you get to know me you’ll see.

“So the name is a little bit of both of us, but also I think it gives people an impression of something positive and bright and happy.”

No stranger to the buzzing cafe scene, Larisa knew there’d be another cafe in her future.

“I had a cafe on the Gold Coast before – HQ Espresso bar in Robina on Riverwalk Parade, inside a five-storey building,” she says.

“That was about three and a half years ago and it just became time to move on.

“The kids were growing up and I needed to give them a bit more of my time. So I finished that up and I went to retail management, but when this opportunity came along we couldn’t say no.”

The main focus at this new venture is to make it approachable, so everybody feels welcome.

“I think cafes have forgotten about regular people,” Larisa says.

“I know what it’s like – to take the family out for breakfast can be up to $100. It shouldn’t be that way. “Our food’s not overpriced, we’re not hipster. “We welcome everyone, we’re dog friendly, there are no restrictions.

“We get all the locals coming from the beach in bare feet and they don’t feel out of place.”

That’s why you’ll find family friendly touches, such as a $5 kids menu, plenty of home-baked goodies and all the classics done just how people want them ... the bacon avo smash has been flying out the door.

But Larisa’s favourite part of the cafe – even though it has only been open less than a month – is the customers. “I love the people,” she says. “The people you meet through working in a cafe are incredible.

“You get to connect through food and coffee and hopefully make someone’s day better.”

Honey Bee and Saint, 2395 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach.