Oikos Cafe on Limestone St, Ipswich: Owners launch second coffee venue

A family business owner has come back with a vengeance after being forced to take up a second job during last year’s pandemic shutdowns.

Oikos owners Brett and Christie Briggs with their children Frankie and Feli outside their new coffee caravan at Tulmur Place.

An Ipswich cafe couple has put months of planning and hard work to the test, following a nightmare 2020 in which they were forced to find alternative work just to pay the bills.

Brett and Christie Briggs, who have owned and operated Oikos cafe on Limestone St for several years, have launched their second venue in the new look Tulmur Place, and business has been going gangbusters.

Their vintage caravan idea was one Mr Briggs said he had wanted to put into action for a long time.

“Our staff have nicknamed it Olive but we just call it the coffee caravan,” he said.

Oikos Cafe Ipswich co-owner Brett Briggs. Photo: Ebony Graveur

“We’ve done our best in a mobile set-up to keep the exact quality of what we can do in the cafe.

“We’ve got a very high end machine – La Marzocco – with the same filtration and same method we use at the cafe.”

The venue opened on June 28, just one day before the Queensland Government announced a snap three-day lockdown, but that hiccup did little to stifle trade.

“We had two days of trade before the lockdown but otherwise (the caravan) is killing it – it’s really busy down there,” Mr Briggs said.

“It’s takeaway only.”

READ MORE: Oikos Cafe Ipswich to open second location

The recent success followed a tough year for Mr and Mrs Briggs, who were among countless business owners forced to battle through Covid shutdowns.

When nearby businesses sent staff to work from home, customer numbers dropped and the duo had to think outside the square in order to pay the bills.

Mr Briggs picked up a second job, returning to his former work in the disability sector and working between 70 and 80 hours a week.

Opening hours at the coffee caravan are the same as at Oikos Cafe, 7am – 2pm Monday to Friday and 7am to 1pm on Saturday.

Read more news by Ebony Graveur here.