Me Coffee Merchants from Sydney opens new Coolum Beach cafe

A Sydney coffee expert has opened his first cafe on the Sunshine Coast. Watch the video to see why Peter Tsiakalakis is so confident his business will boom up north.

A Sydney coffee merchant has moved north and opened his eleventh coffee shop in Coolum Beach.

Peter Tsiakalakis opened Me Coffee Merchants in the Coolum Park Shopping Centre in August, 2022, after a six-month preparation to ensure the cafe looked its best.

The space in which it opened, next to Woolworths, had been empty for months and in the past housed bakeries.

Mr Tsiakalakis said his family had made the migration north in December, 2021, to live in Coolum Beach and spied the space during his many trips to the shopping centre.

“We’ve got 10 stores in Sydney and been around for 25 years now so thought we’d bring the experience to the Sunshine Coast and especially Coolum Beach,” he said.

Peter Tsiakalakis has opened Me Coffee Merchants in the Coolum Park shopping complex.

The owner said he was confident despite the uncertainty around cost of living and rising interest rates and rents that was affecting Sunshine Coast residents.

“It is fairly uncertain times but the main thing for us is to create an experience for the Coolum people and the Sunshine Coast people,” Mr Tsiakalakis said.

“Just a bit of a special treat, a coffee, some great toasties and sweets that we have and just something to give back to the community.”

He said although times were tough he was an experienced cafe owner.

“The difference is here we’re getting to know everyone and it’s not just a transactional experience,” Mr Tsiakalakis said.

“We’re getting to know all the local people, and most of our produce is coming from the local community.”

The business was founded in 1998 and started with a single coffee cart.