Apostolos brothers name California Laneway for cafe run by father George Apostolos

IT WAS a Fortitude Valley institution for nearly half a century. Now members of its founding family and preparing to unveil a tribute as part of a laneway redevelopment project.

Charlie and Arthur Apostolos at California Laneway, 366 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley. Picture: AAP/Attila Csaszar

FORTITUDE Valley is in their blood.

Second generation Valley landlords Charlie and Arthur Apostolos are putting the finishing touches to their final laneway development which pays homage to their parents’ iconic California Cafe at Carroll’s Corner on Brunswick St.

An artist’s impression of California Laneway in Fortitude Valley, which will have a 1960s West Coast vibe with bright colours and palm trees

Tenants next week will begin moving into California Laneway behind Rollinson’s building and Carroll’s Corner where their father George Aspotolos made the cafe famous for huge breakfasts, including a monster mixed grill known as “the trucker’s breakfast”.

It is the third Valley lane development for the brothers, after Winn Laneway and Bakery Laneway off Ann St.

Charlie said the laneway developments stemmed from a genuine love of the Valley where they grew up, and using empty space.

“These older building have big backyards and you’re paying rates and land taxes on the backyard, so we thought ‘how do we use our backyard to make the Valley an even better place?’, he said.

This final laneway is probably the closest to their hearts.

The California Cafe, which their father bought in 1951, hosted many of the Valley’s more interesting personalities over the decades to 1996, when the Aspotolos family left the cafe business.

The site, at the corner of McLachlan St, is now a 7-Eleven.

“We worked in the cafe before school, after school cleaning tables, and long weekends,” Charlie said.

“We worked good hours and for a dollar a day. I was the richest kid at school.”

Developed by the brothers’ AMC Developments and built by Infinitec Constructions, California Lane will have a 1960s West Coast vibe with bright colours and palm trees.

An artist's impression of California Laneway in Fortitude Valley

Outlets facing Brunswick St such as Fat Dumpling, Reverends Fine Coffee, Ltd espresso brew bar, Giardinetto and Crown & Co Barbers will have an alfresco dining area to the rear and will be joined by clothing retailers, a hair salon, juice bar, fashion designers and more.

A feature of the lane will be a tribute to the old California Cafe with a display of their father’s classic formica tables and 1950s chairs, plates and old milkshake beakers that have been in storage.

Adjoining it is Lucky Lane, which creates a pedestrian link from McLachlan St to Ann St and us a sort stroll to the other two laneways.

Arthur said the laneways tapped into the Valley’s rich history as a retail/commercial hub.

They have more than 80 tenancies comprising retailers, bars/restaurants and offices.

“What we’re trying to do is build on the past and bring it into the laneway,” he said.

“We thought we’d bring retail back, but in a different format through the type of tenants and the size of the shops.

“What we have that no one else has, is that they’re pretty much all independent operators,” Arthur Apostolos said.

Inside the original California Cafe, which was replaced by a 7-Eleven in 2004 after nearly 50 years of operation.