Aussie couple open up drive-through with a twist

A drive-through restaurant in Queensland is changing the way we think about fast food.

There is a huge misconception that healthy food takes a lot of work to prepare and can be boring — but one drive-through that has popped up in Queensland has proved the opposite.

Andrea Harcourt, who set up Marketcart with her husband nine years ago, worked in international business and spent a lot of time in London.

Every time she would come home to Queensland, she’d be disappointed with the lack of healthy grab-and-go options in her home state in comparison to the UK.

Marketcart's drive-through has a twist – it is all about healthy eating convenience. Picture: Instagram/@marketcartdrivethru

“It’s so easy to eat junk food these days. I’ve got children and trying to find healthy food on the go — I find quite tricky,” she told news.com.au.

The couple opened up their first cafe at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital before opening another at the University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus.

Now, the couple have opened a drive-through in Kedron that has a full breakfast offering such as bacon and egg muffins, haloumi, egg and smashed avo rolls. They also sell items such as salads, sandwiches, burritos and poke bowls.

Half sandwiches have a price tag of $6 while whole sandwiches and wraps are at $11. Salads are priced between $8 and $13 while smoothies and juices vary between $6 and $8.

Marketcart's drive-through has a twist – it is all about healthy eating convenience. Picture: Instagram/@marketcartdrivethru

Marketcart offers a variety of healthy convenience options. Picture: Instagram/@marketcartdrivethru

Marketcart has a drive-through in Brisbane offering on-the-go meals. Picture: Instagram/@marketcartdrivethru

“It’s all scratch cooked and it’s all free from additives and preservatives that are so common in the food that we eat today. It’s your normal cafe but we’ve gone to particular trouble to make sure it’s whole foods.”

However, Andrea emphasised, this wasn’t “crazy mung beans” but “real coffee, real food with a mindful approach”.

Marketcart also serves coffee. Picture: Instagram/@marketcartdrivethru

Andrea said there was “no doubt” pulling frozen patties and chips from the freezer and serving them would be cheaper.

She said the fact the drive-through is the third part of the business, which has a strong catering component as well, meant that they have volume and are able to “strike that balance” with the prices.

Customer reactions have also been strong, with Andrea revealing there isn’t a day that goes by where someone isn’t begging her to open up a drive-through closer to their home.