‘Microbusiness’ approach for new Toowoomba CBD cafe

WHEN Ben Apsey was laid off from his job due to COVID-19, his father Paul gave him the chance to open a new CBD coffee shop — with a twist.

NOW OPEN: Ben Apsey (right) has opened Travel Mugs Coffee on Margaret St, as a sublease of his father Paul's agency Globetrotters Travel and Cruise Toowoomba.

WHEN Ben Apsey was laid off from his job in car sales due to COVID-19, his father Paul gave him the chance to open a new CBD coffee shop - with a twist.

The former cafe owner has launched Travel Mugs Coffee on Margaret St this week, with the operation subleasing inside his father's recently-purchased Globetrotters Travel and Cruise.

Mr Apsey said while he was presented with the opportunity, he saw it as a good way to make businesses more viable during COVID-19, especially when they had excess floor space to spare.

"I was stood down from work and decided I would go back to uni to do some more town planning studies, and a couple of days later, dad said he was taking over a travel agency," he said.

"He said he wanted me to put a coffee shop in the front end.

"I had run seven square metres at Cool Beans Espresso (previously), so I decided to apply what I had before to here as a hole in the wall, so I could have somewhere that people can sit and have a coffee.

"This opportunity came up at the same time, so I thought I couldn't say no to a gift horse.

"Dad does the whole lease for 172 Margaret, and that then encompasses us as Travel Mugs Coffee as a sublease, and (Daryl Nicholson's) Studio 4350 is at the back too."

Mr Apsey, who is also on the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce's CBD Revitalisation Committee, said he wanted to see businesses work together to embrace subleases more often.

"The chamber came down here (yesterday) and was loving the idea of having these microbusinesses working together," he said.

"Businesses really need to learn to work together and create smaller tenancies.

"Smaller tenancies are going to be what helps us get out of this economic crisis."

He said landlords also had a big role to play as well.

"Our landlord has been great to deal with, especially with the travel agency during COVID-19, to give us some rent assistance," Mr Apsey said.

"There are so many large (vacant) rental spaces, but no one wants them - mum and dad businesses can't afford to be in Grand Central, but they don't want 120 sqm.

"It would be nice if landlords were up to having smaller spaces, not such large tenancies."

For more information, find Travel Mugs Coffee on Facebook.