Get a glimpse at the opening-day action at Brooki Bakehouse’s Chermside pop-up
Brooki Bakehouse lifted the curtain on a brand-new location at Westfield Chermside today and, as one would have guessed, locals turned up in droves to get a fix of Brooki’s virally popular cookies, cupcakes and macarons. While this Brooki outpost is a temporary pop-up, there’s a chance that the bakehouse might open a permanent location in the shopping centre soon. Here’s what we know …
Very few people could claim to be busier than Brooke Bellamy in 2024.
Over 12 months, the founder of virally popular confectioner Brooki Bakehouse not only saw her business continue to grow from buzzy sensation to social-media supernova, but also penned a best-selling cookbook, opened an outpost at Brisbane Airport, oversaw a month-long pop-up in Abu Dhabi and welcomed her first child. It’s a lot to handle for any business operator, let alone one behind what might just be Brisbane’s most famous foodie export.
“If something massive wasn’t happening, it felt a little bit weird,” admits Brooke. “Honestly, there was very little time for myself to stop and think – and it’s still like that.”
Brooke would be forgiven for wanting to slow things down a bit to start 2025, but that’s not the case. If anything, the visionary behind the world-famous cookie, cake and macaron slinger is keeping her foot firmly on the accelerator to start the new year, opening a brand-new location in the heart of Brisbane’s northern suburbs.
Today, Monday February 10, Brooki Bakehouse lifted the cloche on a pink-hued pop-up dispensary on level one of Westfield Chermside (right outside Glassons). To nobody’s surprise, cookie fans turned out in droves. At the time the pop-up opened – just before 9:00 am – a queue of Brooki devotees with razor-sharp sweet tooths was snaking its way through the centre. When we catch Brooke for a brief chat between sales, selfies with fans and signing copies of her cookbook, the cookie doyenne still has trouble getting her head around Brooki’s level of popularity.
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“I think no one ever has any idea that it’s going to happen to them,” says Brooke about her viral fame. “I think a lot of businesses, we’re all wondering how do we get more people and how do we bring people into the business?”
For Brooki Bakehouse – whose profile skyrocketed on the back of Brooke’s viral ‘Day in the Life’ video series – every move is carefully considered out of necessity. As far as growth is concerned, Brooke is understandably cautious about spreading the bakehouse’s capabilities too thin. After opening a production kitchen in May last year, Brooke was able to capitalise on a growing level of interstate and international demand, launching a delivery service that has seen cookies packaged and mailed to far corners of the globe.
“Since everything went viral on TikTok, a lot of people want to experience the brand,” says Brooke. “The priority has been how we can get to more people. Not everyone is going to come to Brisbane, so getting those products in the mail was the first step – if you can’t come to the bakery, we’ll bring the bakery to you. Then taking it international was kind of like an extension of that.”
Now, Brooke has turned her attention back to home turf. While Brooki’s airport locale targets tourists looking to bring a taste of Brooki magic home with them, the Westfield Chermside location is one for the locals.
The kiosk-style dispensary at Chermside stocks a range of Brooki signatures. Naturally, that offering is headlined by the bakehouse’s chunky cookies, with flavours including choc-chip, red velvet, Biscoff, Cornflake and lemon cheesecake. Then there’s an array of cupcakes, macarons and brownies – plus some covetable merchandise. Due to space restrictions, Brooki’s Chermside pop-up has no fridges, which unfortunately means no cakes.
Much like Brooki’s airport outpost, the Westfield Chermside pop-up is technically temporary. However, Brooke reveals that both satellite stores could potentially become permanent this year based on how sales go throughout each pop-up’s duration.
“The airport was a pop-up – we signed a three-month deal, but because it’s gone so well, they extended the invitation to stay for the year. So we’re there all of this year as well,” says Brooke. “The thought process here is similar. We’re here at Westfield Chermside for three months. If it goes well in the first few weeks, then we’ll be working on a permanent location here in the background.
“Pop-ups are a really great way for us to kind of test the waters in a risk-averse way. I feel like in this day and age, with so many businesses struggling and the cost of living pressures, we want to grow in a way that is going to ensure our success in ten years’ time.”
Looking at the queue that emerged on Brooki Chermside’s first day of trade, one might find it hard to believe that a business in the midst of a boom as big as Brooki’s could be anything other than a success. But Brooke isn’t taking any of Brooki’s viral moment for granted. If anything, it has made Brooke more keenly aware of the role the Brisbane community has played (and continues to play) in sharing the Brooki story far and wide.
“When I opened the first store, I had just moved to Brisbane – I didn’t have any friends or family here and there was no one to call upon to come and support. The first eight months, it was so quiet and as soon as those videos started getting traction on TikTok is when everything changed. So I’m very grateful.
“But also I think the reason why Brooki succeeded so quickly is because it’s in Brisbane. Brisbane people love Brisbane brands – you’ve got Bluey, Brooki and the Broncos. And that’s what I feel has created this phenomenon – it wouldn’t be built without the local community.”
Brooki Bakehouse’s pop-up at Westfield Chermside is operating from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturdays and 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on Sundays.