Triciclo, aptly named for its three-wheeled mobile conveyance, is the brainchild of hospitality industry newcomers Aly Hope and James Marshall.
Before venturing into this new business which opened in late April 2021, Aly and James worked as a hospital pharmacist and a surveyor, respectively. Today, the two are trying their hand at an entirely new industry with hopes of supplying some of Brisbane’s morning crowd and bikeway regulars with their morning coffee fix on the go.
Kedron Brook Bikeway, oft-visited for its picturesque scenery, stretches approximately 12 to 16 kilometres depending on the route taken. Cyclists can expect a path that starts at Mitchelton and ends at Nundah, or vice versa. Triciclo will be set up at Gordon Park just beside the bridge that leads to Kokoda Park.
For more information on Triciclo, and for the latest updates and announcements concerning the coffee cart, follow their Instagram page. Learn more about the Fonzie Abbott coffee roasters at their website here.
Despite their history, interested parties have singled out these two sites given their significant land holdings. The fact that ALH — which is, in turn, 75 per cent owned by Woolworths — was involved made it more attractive for potential investors given their reputation.
These hotels are being marketed by the commercial real estate firm Burgess Rawson. Investors from abroad, across the state, and even within the state have allegedly expressed interest in the properties, according to Burgess Rawson agent Glenn Conridge.
Kedron Park Hotel and Edinburgh Castle Hotel are particularly attractive due to the size of the land and their potential for future developments in the long run, however it is also clear that they possess a certain degree of historical value as a result of their age.
Kedron Park Hotel
Established in 1881, Kedron Park Hotel was designed by the architect John R. Hall for the hotel’s owner and licensee, Frederick Morris. The building was set up on the intersection of what was formerly known as Gympie and Bald Hills Rd, opposite where the Kedron Park Racecourse once stood.
Morris was involved with organising picnic race meetings at the racecourse as a means of attracting customers to the hotel. During this time period, the hotel had a variety of facilities such as cricket, a bowling green, skittles and quoits, archery, rifle practice, and pigeon shooting. The hotel’s ownership eventually changed hands, and in 1919, James F Cavill became the new licensee.
Kedron Park Hotel, 1960. Photo from Russell Parry.
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Under Cavill’s ownership, a popular zoo ran behind the hotel. The zoo was renowned for being the home of exotic animals such as crocodiles and monkeys, as well as a parrot capable of swearing.
The Kedron Park Hotel at 693 Lutwyche Road, Kedron Park Rd Photo credit: Facebook/Kedron Park Hotel
On the other hand, Edinburgh Castle Hotel’s origins date back to 1865, where the original building was built by a man named William Orr, and it was positioned on the opposite side of Edinburgh Castle Road.
The hotel received its name from the Scottish settlers who resided in the Bald Hill area, and was owned by the Orr family until Michael Goodwin obtained the license in 1885. By 1888, however, the hotel fell into a state of disrepair after coaches were replaced with railway lines.
In order to adapt, Goodwin applied for the license of a new hotel on the corner of Gympie and Edinburgh Castle Rd. The new Edinburgh Castle Hotel on Gympie Rd, which still stands to this day, was eventually constructed in 1892. The original hotel that Orr built reopened and adopted a new identity as Bonny View.
The Edinburgh Castle Hotel at 421 Gympie Rd, Kedron Photo credit: Facebook/Edinburgh Castle Hotel
Edinburgh Castle Hotel
Both of the properties will be available to purchase in an auction held on March 31 at Melbourne’s Crown Casino starting at 10.30am. Registered bidders will also be able to bid remotely through their phones, the online auction app, or from Burgess Rawson offices in their nearest capital city.
Brisbane’s northside is about to get another addition to its diverse cuisine as a new Southeast Asian restaurant — Oh Boy, Bok Choy! — featuring a wonderful blend of sweet, sour and spicy flavours, is setting its big opening in Stafford.
Oh Boy, Bok Choy! comes from the same team behind Farm House in Kedron. Owners John and Amanda Scott announced their plans to open the new restaurant as an offshoot of Farm House’s “lockdown specials” during the pandemic.
“It is going to be a Southeast Asian Kitchen & Bar with half the menu plant-based, gluten-free and with sauces and bao made from scratch,” the owners revealed to their regular Kedron patrons in a Facebook post.
Whilst Oh Boy, Bok Choy! will offer mostly Vietnamese dishes, there will also be food inspired by Filipino and Malaysian cuisine. Other details about this new restaurant are still under wraps but the Scotts are targetting a May 2021 opening date.
Mrs Scott said that they’ve come up with Oh Boy, Bok Choy! as a healthy option and this something she has been wanting to do in her 24 years in the food business. She used to own and manage Ashgrove’s Milk Bar and Cafe Conti in Wilston.
Meanwhile, if you’re wondering where the name comes from, Bok Choy is a type of cruciferous vegetable and a popular Southeast Asian ingredient for stir fry dishes or soups. Much like kale, lettuce wraps or mustard greens, this has a milder and sweeter taste but it is packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
An empty lot without any house or structure recently went on the auction block in Kedron, attracting more than 100 bidders who wanted a slice of this up-market area. Within minutes, the 607-square metre property was sold to the highest bidder for $992,000.
Located at 52 Seventh Avenue, this lot became the second property to break the sales record in Kedron in under four months. The site’s selling price was even higher by $410,000 when the former owner first bought the property.
Six years ago, this lot had a single-storey post-war house, which the owner had taken down before putting the property back on the market. The owner has since moved to his new home in Aspley.
Photo Credit: Google Maps Photo Credit: Domain.com.au
This Kedron site is within walking distance to Coles and several primary and secondary schools (both state and private). It’s also within a few metres off the parklands and bikeways. Needless to say, it’s the ideal place for setting one’s roots and building a family.
Apart from the location, interested buyers flocked to the auction for this empty lot because it provided an opportunity for the new owners to build their house on “a blank canvas,” according to one bidder.
Despite the record-breaking sale, however, property agents said that there’s has been growing frustration among buyers who could not take advantage of the low-interest rates due to a lack of supply. The agent, however, advised buyers to keep on looking for their forever home.
What distinguishes the gelato from Kedron’s Miss Sophia’s Gelateria from that of other shops? Their ingredients.
This local gelateria uses Maleny milk as the base before adding local fruits and honey into the mix. The flavors of raspberries, mangoes, strawberries and countless other sweet fruits are enhanced with chocolate and peanut butter, as well as the richness of biscoff and cookie crumbs. All in all, these make for lovely serves of gelato capable of satisfying just about anyone’s palate. Those with dietary restrictions can even enjoy their vegan variants.
Even the tools and equipment employed by this gelateria contribute to the quality of their product, offering a chocolate tap to top orders off with molten Cadbury chocolate. The ingredients themselves are churned with machinery imported from Italy, making for an authentic experience.
Cadbury Chocolate Tap Photo credit: Instagram
The menu doesn’t stop at gelato cones, however. Miss Sophia’s Gelateria also offers an assortment of gelato cakes that come in different shapes and sizes — bars, circles, extra large circles, and even domes in the case of their Cassata Dome. Occasionally, the gelateria also hosts pop-up bakeries, typically on Sundays, where pastries such as croissants and doughnuts can be purchased to accompany any orders of gelato.
Croissants from the Pop-Up Bakery Photo credit: Facebook
Open all week from 12:00PM to 10:00PM, Miss Sophia’s Gelateria can be found at 9 Somerset Road, Kedron. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram for updates concerning deals and dates, as well as information on their pop-up bakeries!
The buying and dining habits of Hungry Jacks customers have changed post-COVID, prompting the fast-food chain to reconsider its plans and build a dual-lane drive-thru section in Kedron and two other Brisbane sites, instead of refurbishing the indoor dining facilities.
In a statement, the management of Hungry Jacks said that they want to respond to the growing needs of customers for quick and convenient food service, following an analysis of their operations in late 2020. The management said that there were fewer customers indoors due to the pandemic but their online and drive-thru sales have increased.
Hungry Jacks Kedron, Annerley and Algester will be the first chain stores to get the dual-lane drive-thru facility, pending approval from the Brisbane City Council (DA A005641466). It’s unclear how many other outlets will be undergoing changes after the first three sites.
As a result of the expansion, the Kedron site on 332 Gympie Road will lose six carparks but the new drive-thru will be able to accommodate 18 queued cars at a time.
The Annerley location will lose just one parking spot for a dual-lane drive-thru that can accommodate 14 cars. On the other hand, Hungry Jacks Algester will lose 13 carparks in favor of a drive-thru lane that can have 17 queued cars.
A new swim school has been submitted for inclusion at an approved shopping, food, and medical centre development in Upper Kedron. The neighbourhood centre, to be called Ellendale Retail Centre, is situated along Canvey Road, Levitt Road and Honeyeater Street.
The development application (DA A005625123) proposes the inclusion of an Indoor Sport and Recreation site within a row of shops and a health care service facility.
“The proposal adequately manages the impact on the amenity and character of adjacent uses in the locally with respect to the overall outcomes of the zone,” the developer Town Planning Alliance stated.
“The new Indoor Sport and Recreation Facility requires 15 spaces, meaning this application proposes a shortfall of 5 spaces. The swim school will operate at off peak times for the centre and therefore mitigate the shortfall.”
Photo Credit: PD Online/Brisbane City CouncilPhoto Credit: PD Online/Brisbane City Council
Meanwhile, a few residents have welcomed the planned town centre but expressed a need for a small green grocer and bakery. They also said that having a new medical facility with a chemist will be a huge help to the residents who have to drive miles away to get their prescriptions filled out.
However, one resident raised a question about the water quality and wildlife on Cedar Creek.
“What work will occur to ensure this precinct does bit adversely impact the Creek?” the resident asked.
Construction of Ellendale Retail Centre has not yet started. The Council approved the site on 20 Nov 2020 (DA A005343816) but will still decide on the separate application for the pool facility’s addition.
Although the pandemic hasn’t made things easy for the food and retail industry, a family-owned neighbourhood shop on Kedron Park Road, has grown against the odds. Managed by mother and daughter pair Julie and Meg Hopkins, Coddle & Cohas moved to a new site in Wooloowin and expanded their business.
Coddle & Co now sits just across the road from their old home. After the pair saw the opportunity to take on a bigger site, it didn’t take long for them to push through with the expansion.
Coddle & Co is a cafe specializing in homemade cakes and delightful brunches but it’s also a gift shop and a garden store all rolled into one.
Photo Credit: Facebook
The new space, which opened at the end of August, is double their old size and has enabled Julie and Meg to expand their community library. It now has a dedicated reading space and a larger display of their lifestyle items for sale.
“Coming into our shop is an extension of visiting our home,” the pair said. “Careful selection of beautiful plants and affordable gifts means a visit to Coddle and Co. is a fulfillment of the senses. Everything in the store can be beautifully gift wrapped for no extra charge.”
Photo Credit: FacebookPhoto Credit: Facebook
Julie said that neighbourhood stores and suburban cafes are reviving and thriving in this pandemic because shoppers don’t want to be in shopping centres. People who work from home enjoy a break of coffee and cakes at uncrowded local village shops.
Coddle & Co also hasn’t had any problems with social distancing customers, who obligingly line up for their takeaways. The store has also introduced a range of breakfast items to go from BRKFST.
Photo Credit: Facebook
For trading hours and store updates, follow the shop’s Facebook page. The cafe is on the Skip App for ordering in advance to collect at their coffee window.
We love everything about Coddle & Co from the amazing gifts on offer, perfectly brewed coffee and delicious treats too. Most of all, we love sharing our morning with a welcome smile and lovely chat from Meg and Jules.
Cassie Mathewson, Facebook
Those ladies really know how to make a coffee! Along with a wonderful plethora of knick-knacks and beautiful trinkets for your viewing or purchasing pleasure. It even has a community library so you can take/leave books at your own disclosure! And don’t even get me started on the toasted sandwiches…How can someone make a simple toasted Ham & Cheese taste so bloody fantastic!
Cory Sillence, Google Reviews
I stop here almost every Monday for a coffee and a quick bite and to do some work. Consistently delicious coffee, warm and welcoming faces and delicious toasties! Their gifts also make it easy to shop for friends’ birthdays.
Backyard fire pits in Brisbane are back to being illegal after the completion of the three-month trial. However, a survey from the Brisbane City Council to determine if fire pits and braziers should be permanently allowed drew over 7,500 responses. About 96 percent of these responses favor having the fire pits.
In May, a resident from Kedron petitioned the council to reconsider the fire pit rules and the $266 fine. Darren Mitchell’s petition received more than a thousand signatures and sparked Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner’s decision to introduce the trial for the winter season.
Mr Schrinner, however, reminded residents to “take notice and show respect for their neighbours” if they were to cook food in the fire pit.
More information about the fire pit rules
Prior to the trial, Brisbane residents need to secure permits or follow an extensive list of specific guidelines for fire pits for safety and environmental reasons. Residents complained as they started receiving notices and fines for setting fire pits at the height of the coronavirus lockdown.
In April, officers from the Council knocked on the door of an Oxley home where a family was cooking marshmallows in a small fire pit on rocks. Kirsty George and her kids were camping in their backyard for the Easter weekend. In their 12 years of living in the neighbourhood, they never received a complaint about their fire pit until that Sunday.
The Council officer told Ms George that their neighbours informed them of the excessive smoke. Ms George said that the fire pit rules were “obviously not something that’s widely known” but she obliged the request and put the backyard fire out with water.
“If that’s the rule, then people need to know about it. If you walk around the streets at the moment, every couple of houses has one,” the mum said on social media. “And especially with a lockdown at the moment, everyone’s trying to create something special and fun for their kids or themselves. There’s only so much you can stare at your four walls.”
Photo Credit: Free-Photos/Pixabay
Following the trial, the Council thanked the residents for their positive response and for demonstrating responsible use of the fire pits.
“Council will now consider all the feedback received from the community before announcing the outcome of the trial. Please note the Health, Safety and Amenity Local Law 2009, which limits backyard fires in residential areas now applies,” the Council stated.
Padua College and Mount Alvernia College in Kedron jointly submitted a development application seeking to transform the former Brisbane City Council Stafford Depot into a sports, cultural, trade and education precinct that will also benefit Saint Anthony’s Primary School. If approved, the said facility should provide multiple sports and educational areas that will deliver significant value to the North Brisbane community.
The masterplan (A005516358) includes the construction of an eight-lane running track, two gaming fields and several indoor game courts. The site will also have pools with tiered spectator seating, a community hall, and classrooms for arts and creative activities, as well as other educational programs.
The education precinct proposal also includes relocating the Franciscan Colleges Instrumental Program (FCIP). Padua College, Mount Alvernia College and Saint Anthony’s Primary School often collaborate for the FCIP and this plan will bring the students to one central location instead of travelling between schools.
Photo Credit: PD Online/Brisbane City CouncilPhoto Credit: PD Online/Brisbane City Council
However, the project might evolve once further deliberations and consultations on how to best use the site is underway. A potential performing arts centre, a STEM and industrial skills facility, a garden, as well as a childcare centre, could be added to the original plan.
The primary applicants are open to amendments and modifications and will periodically lodge additional development plans, when necessary.
“The proposal is considered to provide a significant improvement to the residential amenity of the locale on the basis that the proposed education facilities primarily consists of nonresidential sensitive uses, in comparison to the previous non-residential uses of the site being the BCC Stafford depot and Stafford Quarry, which had greater potential to adversely impact the surrounding residential neighbourhoods,” the applicants’ consultant, Planning Initiatives, stated.“Education facilities are considered consistent and complementary with the locale given the proximity of the site to the nearby existing school campuses.”
Padua College and Mount Alvernia College bought the Stafford Depot property from the Council in 2019 for its planned expansion. In a letter to the students’ parents, Mark McSweeney and Michael O’Brien, the school board chairmen, said that they will come up with a masterplan for the “long-term future” of this education precinct.
