From Snug to spacious – Coorparoo’s favourite duo to expand with Bar Cooper’s and Jane’s Deli
After finding success with Snug, Leaham Claydon and Jianne Jeoung are thinking bigger while still keeping things local. With Modern Australian bistro Bar Cooper’s and sandwich and smoothie joint Jane’s Deli, the team is expanding its footprint with a pair of venues that celebrate comfort, craft and everyday dining. Here’s what we know …
Think big, start small.
If there’s one way to describe Leaham Claydon and Jianne Jeoung’s operational ethos, that phrase would sum it up perfectly.
When the young-gun chefs-turned-business-owners struck out on their own last year, they kept things compact. Snug – their Korean-inspired cafe and wine-bar hybrid tucked just off Chatsworth Road in Coorparoo – served as the duo’s debut statement. The considered day-and-night concept quickly cultivated a fervent following off the back of egg-drop sandwiches, inventive small plates and an atmosphere balancing intimacy with energy.
Though Snug is an out-and-out success, Jianne and Leaham never planned on being one-and-done operators. Soon, the duo will expand their portfolio with not one, but two new concepts – both located right next door to their now-iconic debut.
In December, the team will open Modern Australian bistro Bar Cooper’s alongside Jane’s Deli – a sandwich, smoothie and specialty goods dispensary. Both concepts are set within the building previously home to California Native, with work underway transforming its two halves into distinct but complementary venues.
“It is really lucky, finding the right space and the time to open something,” says Jianne, “It has really fallen into the right timeframe. The landlord was very happy to have us on board, so we were a bit impulsive, I guess.”
Sharing a wall with Snug, Bar Cooper’s will be the couple’s ode to simple pleasures. Drawing inspiration from Australia’s new wave of elevated pub fare, the bistro is pitched as an approachable neighbourhood eatery – the kind of everyday go-to that Snug has become for local caffeine seekers.
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“We really want [Bar Cooper’s] to be somewhere for the locals, so that’s where this idea came in,” says Leaham. “Our goal is just that it should be somewhere people can come once a week – if they haven’t got dinner plans set in place for the night they can just pop down with the kids, grab dinner and walk back home. That’s what we’re really missing out on.”
“We’ve always had an idea of running a small bistro – for example, we really love Labart in the Gold Coast and I think, as a chef, it’s almost like a dream come true to have a small bistro restaurant like them,” Jianne adds.
Leaham describes the Bar Cooper’s fare as confidently pared back, but rich in comfort and flavour. The menu will feature the likes of cold-poached king prawns with tomato-caper mayonnaise, garlic-butter pipis with kombu and fermented chilli, chicken schnitzels with brown butter, anchovy and fried egg, dry-aged wagyu cheeseburgers, and Angus sirloins with mushroom gravy.
A pre-existing woodfire oven will be reactivated and put to work, adding a flame-licked touch to the offering – cooking everything from flatbreads (topped with green butter, garlic and parmesan) to wood-roasted fish with jalapenos and coriander.
On the drinks front, expect Bar Cooper’s to lean classic, with its wine list taking on a more global focus. The bar will also dispense a refined range of cocktails, plus a few Bar Cooper’s signatures.
“We’re definitely heading towards more classic wines,” says Jianne. “At the moment, Snug’s very much focussed on natural domestic wines. Obviously we will have a fair bit of domestic wines here, but also some coming from Europe.”
The bistro will boast approximately 45 seats split between interior and courtyard spaces. As far as the aesthetic goes, expect Bar Cooper’s and Jane’s Deli to continue Snug’s timber-heavy theme, with Leaham and Jianne looking to stir up a sense of ease amongst clientele.
“At the end of the day, the diners need to feel comfortable so, in that sense, it will be quite similar to Snug,” says Jianne. “We always try to give guests comfort from the environments they’re in. I think for the bistro, inside, it will definitely be warm, intimate and cosy.”
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Similar to its bistro brother, Jane’s Deli will fill a gap in the neighbourhood, serving up a selection of staples that can be enjoyed more than once a week.
“Sandwiches and smoothies are going to be [Jane’s Deli’s] main calling card,” says Leaham. “There’s going to be a retail portion and then the deli will offer charcuterie, cheeses and some funky wines as well. We’re just going around to a lot of suppliers and picking and choosing fantastic stuff.”
At Jane’s Deli, classics once again take centre stage – expect a range of crowd-pleasing sangers and a few inventive riffs in the mix for those after something a little left of field.
“We definitely want to keep some classic options, because there are a fair few locals who just want classic sandwiches on the way to their work,” says Jianne. “But something different will also be available, just so that if anyone’s coming in often to get their sandwich, I don’t want them to have the same thing every day.”
“It’ll be exciting enough that people will travel and comfortable enough that people can stop in super often,” adds Leaham.
In addition to smoothies, Jane’s Deli will also pour filter coffee from ST. ALi (those after milky brews can still get their fix at Snug next door). Its menu will be geared primarily towards takeaway, though a small number of seats will be available.
Bar Cooper’s and Jane’s Deli’s arrival marks a bold new chapter for two of Brisbane’s rising stars. After making their bones with one of the most popular cafe openings in recent memory, Leaham and Jianne are excited to turn their corner of Coorparoo into a hub that caters to the needs of those that live closest.
“We’ve spent a couple years here now, just absorbing the community and seeing what people want in the area,” says Leaham. “I think Snug was very much for ourselves, and I guess it’s important for the first one to be a bit of a flex of what you can do on your own. But then after that, I think it’s more about what the community needs.”
“That’s our intention here – just give the people what they want.”
Bar Cooper’s and Jane’s Deli are expected to open in December – stay tuned for more.