Koffe and Cones a hit with school kids in Charters Towers

A former road train driver has found herself an unusual customer mix, selling coffees in the mornings, and ice-cream to kids after school.

Koffe and Cones

A road train driver who settled down in Charters Towers and opened an ice-cream parlour has found an unusual dual-income source selling coffee in the mornings - and ice-cream to kids after school.

Donna Croker has been behind the wheel of Koffe and Cones for three years now and she says the cafe’s strange name comes from her “Greek side”.

“I was trying to think of something unique, and it was getting very close to the opening date,” Ms Crocker said.

“I thought, what about keeping it simple, Coffee and Cones, but give it a K?”

Koffe and Cones launched with two objectives: good coffee, and good ice cream, and has steadily expanded into a thriving brunch spot with a popular, ever-changing window display.

Koffe and Cones owner Donna Crocker.

At the moment, Koffe and Cones runs 6:30am to 11.30am for a morning and brunch window, and then stays open for an after school rush until 5pm.

The Koffe and Cones storefront is located just 300 metres from Charters Towers State High School, 500 metres from Charters Towers Central Primary School, and 280m from Columba Catholic College’s primary campus - something of a ‘golden triangle’ of schools for an ice-cream shop.

“The kids come in after school for the ice creams, and because everyone on Gill St shuts after 2pm we get a lot of business,” Ms Cocker said.

Koffe and Cones: Barista Farah Caddy and Tess Leiser inside the cafe

Customers at Koffe and Cones compliment the store’s “bucket-sized” coffee cups and “old fashioned” Australian menu, which includes everything from fresh baked scones up to a full English breakfast.

“There were quite a few empty buildings on Gill St when I first moved in,” Ms Crocker said.

“I was a road train driver all my life and eventually I bought a house in Charters Towers so I could be closer to my parents as they got older.”

The transition from trucking to town life wasn’t immediate; some Townsville readers may be familiar with Ms Crocker from her time running the Georgio’s Coffee van, named after her great-granddad.

Koffe and Cones in Charters Towers

“The van in Townsville was where I started to really get involved with coffee, I learnt from the roasters about all the little things,” the 55-year-old said.

With a new background in coffee, Ms Crocker took the plunge and picked up the old family profession of running a shop on Gill St.

Koffe and Cones has a proud tradition of doing up their front window to suit events and holidays. This is the display for the Charters Towers Country Music Festival.

“My mother used to have a dress shop on Gill St and we had the lease on that building for a long time. When mum started running her dress shop from home us siblings decided to put an ice creamery in the store instead,” Ms Crocker said.

‘Ice cream Land’ used to stand where the Feedlot Eatery now is.

Koffe and Cone’s front window display for State of Origin.

The store’s detailed window displays are courtesy of Ms Crocker’s mother, Betty Crocker, who’s put together several designs to reflect events and holidays.

“My mum is 78-years-old now but she comes in here every morning to help me at 6am, without fail,” Ms Crocker said.

“I tell her she doesn’t have to but she says it makes her happy.”

Originally published as Koffe and Cones a hit with school kids in Charters Towers