Room for everyone – Vacancy Coffee brews up something special in Woolloongabba
Tucked inside Woolloongabba’s historic Moreton Rubber Works Building, Vacancy Coffee is a heartfelt expression of its owners, Tyler and Hailey – a couple who swapped their careers for a life of coffee, community and creativity. With vinyl on the turntable, mid-century charm in the decor and genuine warmth behind the counter, this is a cafe where personality pours as freely as the espresso.
The best cafes are typically ones that are an extension of those that own them. From the decor to the service style, coffee spots that look to offer more than just a strong cuppa tend to form the most loyal fanbases, evolving more into cherished community hubs than a simple amenity.
Vacancy Coffee is, perhaps, one of the purest examples of this idea. The brainchild of first-time hospitality operators Tyler and Hailey, this hidden gem in the heart of Woolloongabba is the platonic ideal of an owner-operated cafe – one that is personality driven, heartfelt and considered.
When the duo decided to ditch their established careers in favour of a bean change (like a sea change, but opening a cafe instead of moving to the seaside), Tyler and Hailey wanted to create a space that not only matched their own creative sensibilities, but could also become a welcoming respite for others.
“We ended up deciding to incorporate everything we love into one spot,” says Tyler. “We love coffee, we love art and we love music – let’s just make it a hub for our friends and other people.”
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Vacancy Coffee opened in July inside a cosy cafe space on the Stanley Street side of the Moreton Rubber Works Building. Inspired by mid-century and Art-Deco aesthetics – informed by the couple’s recent travels across Vietnam – Tyler and Hailey reconfigured the tenancy into a wholesome hideaway that is part coffee dispensary and part listening cafe.
The venue is divided into two compact sections – a light-filled room at the front that boasts a newly built coffee counter and a low-set timber bench for seating, as well as a relaxing lounge space in the rear illuminated by the soft glow of a blue-hued spherical lamp.
“We want to make it a blank space and curate it into something that we love, so we carefully chose how we were going to design it” says Hailey, who oversaw the cafe’s design while Tyler took the lead on the build. “I’m inspired by Korean and Japanese cafe cultures as well, with their incorporation of music and just simple pleasures, well done.”
When it comes to its offering, Vacancy Coffee keeps things simple. Though Tyler and Hailey are self-professed newbies to the hospitality game, they’ve made some savvy selections when it comes to their beans of choice. The duo has teamed up with ST. ALi, stocking the roaster’s Orthodox and Wide Awake blends, serving espresso-based and batch brews alongside matcha.
“We didn’t want something too big, we’re just working within our frame of knowledge and what we can do well,” says Hailey.
“I think what it came down to, because we were so new, was the support and the hands-on training – it’s what we really needed at the beginning,” adds Tyler. “ST. ALi came in and helped us, they suggested things and at the beginning it really helped us and gave us more confidence.”
Vacancy also stocks a concise selection of gourmet cookies and plant-based cinnamon scrolls from House of Dough, with plans to collaborate with other like-minded makers in the future.
“I think supporting small businesses and working with the community is everything, so our goal is definitely to work with other collaborators, for sure,” says Hailey.
On the walls, you’ll spy a few racks displaying an assortment of vinyl records, plucked from Tyler and Hailey’s personal collection. At any given time, you might catch Steve Lacy playing through the speakers followed by the percussive rhythms of Manuel Tur or the Afro rock sounds of Osibisa.
All of the above contributes to a vibe that is eclectic and personal, but also approachable. Though infused top to bottom with their own tastes, Tyler and Hailey believe Vacancy is a place for the people, more than anything.
“I think it’s a space to just come as you are and not have to worry about how you dress yourself or how you hold yourself,” says Hailey. “Creating a safe space is so important in today’s society – making sure that people are heard and seen at the same time.”
“That’s where the name came from, vacancy is like having room for everyone,” Tyler adds. “It’s your space – there’s always room.”
Vacancy Coffee is open now – click over to The Directory for operating hours and social links.