Fresh local produce used in Chameleon Cafe’s menu
Qualified chefs Michael Ogden and Jonathan Knight prepare everything using fresh, local produce.
Gladstone
Don't miss out on the headlines from Gladstone. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Gladstone’s newest taste sensation is open on Toolooa Street with everything on the Chameleon Cafe and Takeaway’s menu made from local produce and local suppliers.
Owned by qualified chefs Michael Ogden and Jonathon Knight, the cafe has enjoyed a busy first four weeks in business.
Both men have worked extensively in local hotels and hospitality businesses, with Michael being the head chef at the Club Hotel for six years, and Jonathon the head chef at the Young Australian Hotel.
The pair said for about seven years they had been dreaming of going into business together.
“We’ve always wanted to do something with fresh food and quality products, but that changes with seasons and with food trends in hospitality, and that’s where the name Chameleon came from because Chameleon’s change,” Mr Ogden said.
“About 90 per cent of our menu is gluten free and everything that goes into our deep fryer is gluten free.
“We crumb the schnitzels ourselves, we batter the fish ourselves, we use gluten free breadcrumbs, gluten free flour and we have gluten free hand made products in our display cabinet from cakes, desserts and treats to sandwiches.
“We don’t charge extra for specialty milks like almond milk and that way everyone can walk in off the street and not worry about their dietary needs.”
The only item on the Chameleon Cafe and Takeaway menu more than $20 is the big breakfast ($23), plus a rewards scheme gives customers one point for every dollar they spend and is redeemable on any menu item.
To help promote local artisans, Mr Ogden said the cafe feature two display shelves of crafts from The Bearded Creator and The Reis Collection.
“Their products have been really popular and we have had a lot of people coming in, commenting on them and buying them,” he said.
“Local tradespeople Rhys Evans from Plumb Call and Paul Dopson from Dopson’s Electrical were fantastic in helping and advising us during the extensive renovations we did on the premises.”
Already, The Chameleon Cafe and Takeaway has taken on two local people with disabilities for work experience and teamed up with a local high school whose students are getting on the job exposure.
Opening a business during a global pandemic didn’t phase the two hospitality hot-shots.
“We’ve comfortably put in place all the COVID regulations like seating numbers and social distancing, which gives us more ideas on how to set up our business so if something like this ever happened again, we don’t need to change how we do things,” Mr Ogden said.
The Chameleon Cafe and Takeaway is located opposite Blooms The Chemist at shop 1/119a in the Toolooa Street shopping mall.
Visit The Chameleon Cafe website to place online orders or follow them on Facebook.
Other stories
Gladstone gets new mental health hub
WATCH: Police dog tracks hidden alleged car thief
Police have charged seven people with 27 offences following alleged unlawful use of motor vehicle offences in Rockhampton this week.
Snake bite surge in Central Qld as slithery creatures found in strangest of places
With call-outs like a carpet python in a car engine, 6ft-long eastern brown in a factory and a 10ft-long carpet python in a chook pen, one CQ snake catcher is unsurprised snake bites across the region are at an all time high.