The humble lobby cafe is an integral element of Brisbane City’s complex superstructure. It’s a vital resource for those in the corporate world – an express pitstop for the time-poor commuters, a nifty networking hub for the movers and shakers, and an oasis for those that need to step away from their desks, if only for a minute or two. While the big-name cafes get the kudos, lobby cafes are, perhaps, the true unsung heroes of inner-city hospitality. Ask Dae Kang and Jack Kortlang and they’d be inclined to agree. Separately, the duo has worked across Brisbane’s coffee scene for several years – Dae has operated a number of coffee concepts (including The Common Room on Creek Street and The Hideout on Adelaide Street, both of which he has since sold), while Jack also did a stint working with caffeine powerhouse Industry Beans. After knowing each other for a long time, the two decided to join forces and create a coffee-focused conglomerate of their own called Brisbane Cafe Group – an organisation looking to create concepts that serve product that’s a step above the average corporate offering. They’ve spent 2022 flying mostly under the radar, quietly opening a string of small-scale dispensaries across The City. Weekday opened at the base of Central Plaza 1 on Queen Street, while Ann Street Coffee Project has evolved from a cappuccino-slinging cart on Ann Street to a standalone espresso bar in Bowen Hills. Public Cafe, the group’s third brew bar, opened back in April at the base of Heritage Lanes – Mirvac Group and M&G Real Estate’s new Woods Bagot-designed, state-of-the-art six-star green star development on Ann Street, the headquarters for Suncorp. With 35 levels and an estimated capacity of 7000, Heritage Lanes is shaping up to be one of the busiest buildings in The City – and Public Cafe is situated right near the front door.
Public Cafe sits at the top of the escalators leading foot traffic from Ann Street to the elevators, in the corner of a spacious lobby that has been designed to resemble an urban oasis. Dae and Jack have honed in on a minimalist design for Public’s coffee bar, which is wrought from stone. Though small, Public Cafe is laden with brand-new high-end equipment geared towards consistent and quick high-volume service, including two La Marzocco KB90 espresso machines (custom painted by Dipit Kustoms), MAZZER and Victoria Arduino Mythos coffee grinders, Puqpress tampers and Übermilk milk frothers. Though this shiny new gear may indicate to some that Public Cafe sits firmly in the high-end specialty space, Dae and Jack are quick to assure that the dispensary is accessible to everyone, from the latte lovers to the filter fiends. The team has partnered with Melbourne’s ST. ALi as its coffee supplier of choice, running its Orthodox blend for milky pours and Feels Good organic blend for black coffee, available alongside batch, filter and cold-brew coffee. An all-day menu includes a tight selection of simple options – think pastries, ham-and-cheese croissants, brekkie wraps, coconut and apple bircher muesli and banana bread, as well as juices and tea for the non-coffee drinkers. Public Cafe won’t be the only operation Dae and Jack will operate at Heritage Lanes, with a new bistro concept from the crew set to open downstairs later this year. We’ll have more details on that one very soon!
Public Cafe is now open. Operating hours can be found a click away in the Stumble Guide.
