‘Nearly 70 seat cafe’: Bushland Beach abuzz with new Hyve Cafe and Coffee

A year ago, people said it couldn’t be done. Now, Bushland Beach’s new Hyve cafe has proved there is plenty of demand for barista-quality coffee in the outer suburbs.

Courtney Maylin inside her successful cafe 'Hyve' - the first of its kind for Bushland Beach.

Courtney Maylin’s dream of owning an espresso bar has taken Bushland Beach by storm - or maybe, Bushland Beach has taken her humble plans for great coffee by storm.

At this point it’s not clear who is driving who as residents continue to pack the tables at their very own ‘Hyve’.

“My lifelong goal was to have a little espresso bar,” Ms Maylin said.

“Now I have a nearly 70 seat cafe. I don’t know how that happened.”

When the 27-year-old moved to Bushland Beach from Wollongong, she quickly noticed the suburb didn’t have its own coffee shop.

Ms Maylin said she was lucky to have her staff. “A lot of our staff are Bushland Beach locals and everything runs very efficiently. Our chef is Bushland Beach, one of our managers is Balgal Beach.”

“I was not driving 15 minutes one-way to get a coffee,” Ms Maylin said.

There were a lot of doubters who didn’t think a cafe could be successful in the outer seaside suburb.

The long, thin retail space Ms Maylin found next to the Bushland Beach Coles grocery store had stood empty since its construction in 2017 - making her the first ever tenant to take a risk and lease it.

“I remember when I was doing the fit-out (interior installations) people were like ‘she’ll never make it, no one’s done that before’,” Ms Maylin said.

“It was an empty shell and we had to install everything.”

Ms Maylin said she focuses on using local produce, getting her eggs from Charters Towers, meat from Angliss and fish from North Shore Seafood Co.

But for the love of coffee, Ms Maylin was willing to go all in on the business, and her faith paid off.

The store opened in May 2023 and has weathered its first year admirably well, cultivating a good reputation, a long-list of regulars and a team of friendly staff.

Ms Maylin had years of experience under her belt as a cafe manager and barista, but said starting her very first business was an eye-opener.

“There was a lot of learning, and it’s been tricky with the economy and how things are costing so much more,” she said.

“It was scary, but I have a lot of community support around me and our weekends are insane.”

One of the coffee bean blends on offer in Hyve.

Running seven days a week, 7am to 2pm, Hyve offers an all-day breakfast and all-day lunch menu alongside the star of the show - Campos Coffee.

“I wanted Campos specifically. I didn’t want to open here unless I could get Campos,” Ms Maylin said.

“They make sure all their farmers’ children get an education, and they put a lot into the roasting process.”

Campos started out in Sydney, before it grew into a specialty coffee roaster considered the holy grail among Aussie baristas.

“There is a lot of precision and science that goes into running a cafe with Campos,” Ms Maylin said.

“You are taste-testing espressos throughout the day to make sure everything is right, making micro-adjustments to the grinder. The humidity in Townsville can have a big effect (on the coffee taste).”

So what’s next for the young cafe?

“We’re looking at some menu expansions, and I’m trying to keep on top of trends and listen to what people want,” Ms Maylin said.

“The best part about my job is the relationships I’ve got with my customers.

“It keeps me going. I’ve got a lot of customers where I feel like a part-time barista and part-time therapist!”

Alongside the in-house cafe, Hyve also run a takeaway service where people can place an order online and select their pick-up time.

Hyve Cofffee, Bushland Beach Plaza, 289 Mount Low Parkway

Originally published as ‘Nearly 70 seat cafe’: Bushland Beach abuzz with new Hyve Cafe and Coffee