Strong tenant interest brewing as Goodwill Bridge’s popular caffeine pit stop is offered for lease

A new beginning is brewing for one of Brisbane’s smallest and quirkiest cafes but, with daily foot traffic of about 15,000 potential customers, the fight for its 20sq m of retail space is expected to be strongly contested.

Business owner Brendan Harris at his cafe on the Goodwill Bridge in Brisbane. Picture: Lachie Millard

Suspended above its iconic and murky divide, one of the River City’s most unique retail spaces is up for lease.

The cafe tenancy on Brisbane’s Goodwill Bridge has become a popular midstream pit stop for caffeine-loving city workers and students on their daily commute.

In an expressions of interest campaign closing on May 9, the space is being offered for lease.

It spans a net lettable area of only 20sq m but offers sweeping river and CBD vistas as well as exposure to an average of about 15,000 passers-by a day.

The first permit to operate a cafe/kiosk from the space on the busy bridge was issued in June 2009 and in total there have been three operators.

For the past six years, it has been home to Brendan’s Cafe, which has developed a loyal following of regular customers.

Owner/operator Brendan Harris confirmed he would be submitting a proposal in a bid to continue his successful business from the landmark location.

“Our plan is to reapply, for sure,” he said.

Brendan Harris at his cafe on the Goodwill Bridge in Brisbane.

Marketing agents Jose Rojas and Gavin Moore from McGees Property said they were expecting the space to attract strong interest from prospective operators.

“It’s definitely a very unique and rare opportunity,” Mr Rojas said.

He said the lease would be subject to approval by the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy.

“The bustling location is ideally suited to a cafe/beverage vendor ready to take advantage of the high foot traffic and captive patronage,” Mr Rojas said.

But he said the State Government was looking for an entrepreneurial operator who was also going to engage with the community and benefit social enterprise, such as helping the long-term unemployed and people with disabilities.

“So it’s not just a matter of paying rent but what can they bring to the Goodwill Bridge and what can they do to make it more than just a coffee shop,” Mr Rojas said.