Sunshine Coast best brunch revealed as Mooloolaba’s The Velo Project

The owners of a popular cafe in the heart of the Coast were extremely grateful to be named the best in the region after a trying year for the industry.

Owner David Nash of The Velo Project which has been voted the best brunch spot on the Sunshine Coast. Picture: Patrick Woods.

The owners of a popular cafe in the heart of the Coast were extremely grateful to be named the best in the region after a trying year for the hospitality industry.

Celebrity chef Matt Preston put a call out last week to find the best brunch spot on the Coast as part of his Delicious Local push.

It was a tight race but The Velo Project came out on top between 12 other cafes and restaurants in the running.

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Owners Sarah and David Nash took over the reigns at the Mooloolaba spot in 2014 and have established a loyal customer base over the years.

Mrs Nash said the pair were "absolutely stoked" to be named the best in the region.

"We're obviously proud and that's what we love about the Sunshine Coast, the local community," she said.

"After going through such a rough year, it's just really lovely to see how well supported we are by the Sunshine Coast."

The lockdowns and restrictions forced into place by Covid were difficult for the business but Mrs Nash said the support from locals kept them going.

"Anyone that's been in hospitality has obviously been through the struggle the last year and we've got a young family," she said.

"It was pretty scary there for a while … but our customers are just wonderful.

The Velo Project has been voted the best brunch spot on the Sunshine Coast. Picture: Patrick Woods.

"It's definitely taught us all in the hospitality industry to be a little bit stronger in certain ways that we never focused on, but now we've come out stronger and ready to tackle it again if it would happen again."

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Mrs Nash said their high-quality service and a menu that kept customers interested were what gave the cafe an extra edge.

"I speak to a lot of our customers … and everyone often tells us how much they love it," she said.

"I think our staff are just fantastic. People aren't just coming in and getting unnoticed, that's what I think we're fantastic at.

"And we're always making sure we've got something new on the board.

"Rather than having the same menu all the time, I think that's why we change it seasonally."

The Velo Project has been voted the best brunch spot on the Sunshine Coast. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Giving back to other local businesses was important to Mrs Nash, who encouraged residents to get out to their Coast-owned venues.

"People support us so we want to support them as well, it might be as simple as ducking in and getting a coffee, but it all helps."

Originally published as Sunshine Coast best brunch revealed as Mooloolaba’s The Velo Project