Sisters turn their sweet dreams into reality

FROM a shipping container to their very own shop on one of Bowen’s main streets, two sisters have come a long way.

BUSINESS OWNERS: Sisters Bianca Burgess and Alexandra Sinclair in their business Le Sorelle Coffee House and Florist in Bowen. . Picture: Shakira Sellen

FROM a shipping container to their very own shop on one of Bowen's main streets, two sisters have come a long way in their dream to run their own unique business.

Alexandra Sinclair and Bianca Burgess opened Le Sorelle (Italian for 'The Sisters') Coffee House and Florist on Richmond St in Bowen in October last year and their hard work is paying off.

Wooden floors and modern but feminine decor is presented neatly throughout their coffee shop which doubles as a florist and giftware business.

It was designed by Alexandra and decorated by Bianca.

The business also produces delicious fudge that is homemade, while they are also known for their Waffle Wednesdays, where they tease tastebuds by posting photos on social media of Tim Tam and Milo waffle creations.

Alexandra and Bianca recently received Highly Commended Business Champion at the Women in Business breakfast.

"We started from home at Alex and Scott's (her husband's) house, but then they had a baby so we moved to our mum and dad's and worked out of a shipping container," Bianca said.

"That was for about two years and that was hard.

"Then we opened a shop downtown in Bowen and had that for about 18 months.

"We were struggling."

But things turned around when the sisters found a property on Richmond St in Bowen.

It was a family effort to turn the former fish and chip shop into their coffee shop/florist business.

"We'd always dreamed of a coffee shop/florist," Bianca said.

"We just had to get Dad on board to do all the work.

"It was a four-month renovation."

Working with family may not work for some, but it seems to be working for this pair.

"We have our challenges but mostly it works," Alexandra said.

"Bianca is the florist, Scott pretty much runs the coffee shop and I run the business and marketing side."

FLORIST: Fresh and artificial flowers are on display at Le Sorelle. . Picture: Shakira Sellen

Being a florist is a job that Bianca enjoys thoroughly.

"It's a career that will take you anywhere," she said.

"If I didn't want to open a business I could work anywhere in the world.

"It's a worldly skill."

They're both trained florists having spent time with Dutch master florist Debby Birach-Mayer.

"We drove down to Toowoomba and did an intense two-week training course with a Dutch master florist," Bianca said.

"We've created a really good relationship with her (Debby Birach-Mayer).

"We did Cert II in two weeks and then she came up to Townsville and Bowen a week in each spot and we did Certificate III.

"So four weeks total."

The store stocks large roses from Columbia and Bianca said her favourite flowers are the sweetly-scented Matthiola incana which are known as 'stock'.

The flowers come from Toowoomba and Brisbane.

The sisters are also known for their homemade fudge which comes in a variety of flavours like honeycomb caramel, white choc macadamia and red velvet.

Originally published as Sisters turn their sweet dreams into reality