When midday hunger strikes, and desk drawers offer little more than an aging muesli bar, office workers flock to nearby cafes in pursuit of speedy lunchtime repast. But what if your lunch promised more than a full stomach and pick-me-up? What if it promised better productivity, too? 

‘Wellness cafes’ promoting more than mere midday fuel are emerging globally, which begs the question: can so-called ‘functional food’ deliver on more than just flavour?

How does a wellness cafe differ from a regular cafe?

Wellness cafes aim to provide their patrons with meals that serve a specific, health-driven purpose. They generally feature organic and/or densely nutritious ingredients and promise more than a healthy option. The other point of difference is that their menus are often devised by, or in collaboration with, health professionals.

With a slew of new wellness cafes boasting ‘biohacking menus’ and serving up ‘performance’ foods developed alongside nutritionists, dietitians and naturopaths, there’s a good reason the wellness cafe concept is quickly catching on among time-poor, energy-seeking consumers. 

But, are wellness cafes a game-changing concept for inner-city office workers seeking to enhance their productivity? Or, are they simply salad bars with a side serve of clever marketing? 

Form and function

A prime example of these mission-driven cafes is Brisbane’s all-new Form – a cafe that forgoes ultra-processed ingredients, in favour of densely nutritious fare. We spoke to the founder to find out what makes this wellness cafe different from regular lunching spots.

From the city’s centre, Form is serving up breakfast, lunch, and drinks aimed at boosting productivity. It also offers a catering service. 

The difference between Form and other salad-slinging cafes in the area is that its menu is designed by a qualified nutritionist, head chef Dylan Brace. The aim of Dylan’s menu is, ‘to sharpen your focus and supercharge your health.’

Form's director and founder, Jared Lawler, is bringing functional food to the fore in the Queensland capital. After experiencing a heart attack in his 30s, Lawler set himself some lofty goals.

“Form was born out of necessity,” he says. “After a heart attack at 37, I became obsessed about what I put in my body. I couldn’t find anywhere serving food that aligned with those standards, so I built it.”

How do wellness cafes actually work?

So, how does this wellness cafe intend to sharpen its customers’ focus and supercharge their health?

“Form isn’t just about healthy food. It’s about helping people feel sharper, stronger and more connected. Every dish is designed to support both mental and physical performance. Where most cafes tweak recipes to appear healthier, we built Form from the ground up. No seed oils, no refined sugars, no ultra-processed ingredients – just clean, focused, nutrient-dense food made with intention.”

The cafe’s ‘ultra un-processed’ menu focuses on bowls packed with nutritious ingredients. Patrons can select their bowl from a curated list, or build their own from a choice of salads (like a cauliflower salad, a raw broccoli salad or a soba noodle salad), warm vegetables, proteins (ranging from slow-cooked meats to legumes) and a selection of ‘gut health boosters,’ (including fermented chilli yoghurt, miso marinated egg and house pickles).

To accompany lunchtime food selections are smoothies, fresh juices, kombucha, and an extensive tea list.

Form's menu also comes with a warning, which states, "You’re being poisoned! Ultra-processed foods, inflammatory seed oils, gut-wrecking additives – most of what we eat today is designed for profit, not for health. It's robbing us of longevity, energy, and real nourishment.

"At Form, we take a whole-foods approach, cutting out the garbage and focusing on ingredients that fuel both body and mind. No seed oils. No ultra-processed junk. No unpronounceable chemicals like azodicarbonamide or butylated hydroxyanisole. Our rule is simple: if we wouldn’t serve it to our family, we won’t serve it to you.’

Where you’ll find wellness cafes

Wellness cafes have begun popping up across the UK (see Volonte cafe), the US (like Nourish Wellness Cafe, plus a throng of quintessentially LA venues), and Canada (Habitual Cafe), and it seems Australia is ready to join the boom.

Form isn’t Australia’s only cafe serving up what’s being labelled as functional food. Among Australia’s band of wellness-forward cafes are Perth’s wellness-expert-founded Bridges Wellness Cafe, Melbourne’s dietary-driven Seedling Cafe and Sydney’s nutritionist-backed Ruby Lane Wholefoods.

While health-oriented, raw food and real-food cafes – including those attached to health-food stores (like Adelaide’s Food For Life) and health retreats (like the Gold Coast hinterland’s Eden) – have existed in Australia for decades, the promise of mental and physical performance-enhancing menu items is a burgeoning trend.

“Through Form, I want to make nourishing food both accessible and desirable, even for busy professionals balancing the fast pace of modern life and the nine-to-five hustle,” says Lawler.

While we can’t yet attest to the performance-enhancing benefits of wellness cafe menus, one thing’s for certain: eating a balanced, nutritious (and flavourful) diet is never a bad idea. And, if Lawler’s own health overhaul is anything to go by, we’re willing to devour delicious salad bowls for lunch, productivity-inducing or not.