Coffee Cat on Kings Beach in Caloundra has kicked back the negative effects from Covid-19

Owners of a unique Sunshine Coast cafe have been able to combat the effects of lockdown and grow the business while their doors were closed. Find out how here.

Owners of a thriving Caloundra cafe have revealed how they managed to grow the business despite having to close doors during the pandemic.

Coffee Cat on Kings Beach owner Pierre Mortenson and his wife Haley took charge of the business back in 2013, having managed the cafe for three years prior.

When the pandemic struck hospitality owners faced plenty of questions about their survival.

But a humble trivia night provided Mr and Mrs Mortenson their answer.

The trivia night had been a crowd favourite since 2019.

“It was a bit of an out of the box idea,” Mr Mortenson said.

It started slow but gained traction, with about 50 people coming down regularly before lockdown struck.

Facing uncertain times like many in the industry, Mr Mortenson and his team came up with the idea of a virtual trivia night.

The popular pub quiz shifted online and their audience inflated dramatically.

The result was effectively a major advertising campaign for the cafe, which survived lockdown and was now bustling, thanks in large to their digital quiz.

“Those who attended online had never even been to our establishment but once the restrictions eased we had those people come down and say hi,” Mr Mortenson said.

Mr Mortenson, who grew up in Cooroy has lived in Caloundra for the past 25 years.

He said the his establishment was one of a kind in terms of location on the Sunshine Coast.

“Given we are such an outside venue our best asset and our worst ally is the weather,” he said.

“For me the setting is absolute paradise and us and the cafe beside us are the only cafes on the Sunshine Coast that don’t have a road or anything that separates us from the water.

“It’s pretty cool to know that as you’d have to get all the way to Hastings Street to find similar venues.”

Mr Mortensen said Coffee Cat on Kings Beach were also proud pioneers of the live music scene in Caloundra.

“Something we’re really proud of too is our support of the live music scene around town,” he said.

“When we took over there wasn't anywhere that was supporting local artists so we really wanted to grow that part into our business as well and I don’t want to take all the credit but I now feel as if Caloundra has a really good live music buzz.”