Say hello to Sunnyboy – the new seaside cafe from the owner of Elk Espresso
The prime oceanfront Mermaid Beach site formerly occupied by Cafe on Hedges is now home to Sunnyboy Espresso – a colourful, umbrella-lined seaside beauty from the owner of popular Broadbeach institution, Elk Espresso.
In a full-circle moment, Elk’s owner Andrew Whiting is back in Mermaid Beach – the suburb where he opened his first cafe, Vintage Espresso, nearly 15 years ago. His latest venue Sunnyboy Espresso, which takes pride of place just footsteps from the beach on Hedges Avenue, takes cafegoers from breakfast and brunch through to lunch in the most delicious of ways.
Much like its iconic sibling, Sunnyboy serves up a fun and vibrant menu of eats that will be switched up each season. Debut summer dishes include stracciatella on toast with heirloom tomatoes, toasted hazelnuts, smoked honey and crispy chilli oil, and the Summer Fruits French Toast, featuring a thick slice of cornflake-dipped brioche topped with plum compote, fresh peaches and cherries, honey macadamias, rock-salt caramel gelato and coconut mousse.
The Classic Brunch Hoagie has the makings of a local favourite, arriving loaded with double-smoked bacon, scrambled eggs, chilli jam and melted provolone. There’s also a Sticky Pork Hoagie with crispy roasted pork belly, miso butter, sesame fried eggs and plum sauce.
Lunch at Sunnyboy kicks off with a seasonal salad – the current summer edition features fresh peaches, stracciatella, spiced cauliflower, pomegranate, fried capers and a plum dressing. For something a little heartier, there’s the Sunnyboy Smash Burger and the Nashville Chicken Burger, both served with seasoned fries and house-made pickles on the side.
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Coffee by Parallel Roasters is pouring from the bright yellow coffee machine, alongside housemade cold brew, smoothies and cold-pressed juices. Sunnyboy also serves a tight list of cocktails, from limoncello sprites to yuzu-coconut palomas.
Just like at Elk, you can take your Sunnyboy experience to the next level and opt for the ‘Boozy Brunch’ add-on, which includes an hour of bottomless mimosas – perfect for long lunches in the sunshine.
Sunnyboy Espresso is now open! For openings hours and contact info, head to The Directory.
Image: Jade Quinlivan Photography