Smooth moves – Green Cup brings its cult acai bowls and smoothies to Brisbane
What started as a green-smoothie obsession has evolved into one of Melbourne’s most trusted acai destinations. Now, Green Cup has brought its bowls, smoothies and quality-first ethos to Queensland with a brand-new Brisbane-first outpost in New Farm. Here’s what’s on offer …
The Green Cup story started as a health kick. Roughly 11 years ago, Melburnians Natalie and Simon Guest discovered green smoothies and promptly fell in love with them. Pretty soon, they became green smoothies’ biggest advocates, touting their benefits to just about anyone that would listen.
“We became borderline obsessed – we were pushing them onto all our families and friends,” says Natalie. “We got so passionate about it, we decided that maybe we should do something with it. As part of that whole search, we discovered acai – it just took off from there.”
Green Cup arrived at a time when acai was just starting to trend in Australia. When Natalie and Simon opened their first cafe in South Yarra, Green Cup was one of the first brands to bring the antioxidant-rich superfruit to the Melbourne market.
Soon, acai was everywhere, but Green Cup retained a reputation over the years for being the go-to source for the good stuff, thanks to the team’s no-nonsense approach to acai preparation.
“There’s variation in how people do acai,” explains Natalie. “There’s soft serve, which is not as high quality, and there’s what we do, which is called a traditional blend.
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“We use frozen acai cubes and then we blend them with a bit of banana, which gives natural sweetness without needing to add any additional sugars.”
Since 2014, the Green Cup empire has grown to include eight locations across Melbourne. Last week, Natalie and Simon cut the ribbon on their first outpost outside of Victoria – a sleek smoothie and bowl dispensary at Little Lane in New Farm.
“We’ve been thinking about going interstate for a while and the climate here is perfect for what we’re selling,” says Natalie of the northward expansion. “People are obviously into healthy living, but they also really appreciate good quality.”
Though slender, the new location is a real looker. The site boasts a minimal, functional aesthetic conjured by acclaimed Melbourne-based design practice Hecker Guthrie. The space features a sense of textural depth and raw materiality (courtesy of galvanised steel and timber elements) that helps Green Cup slot seamlessly into Little Lane’s brick exterior. While more geared toward takeaway custom, a few low-set tables are scattered across the connecting laneway.
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On opening day, hordes of locals flocked to get a taste of Green Cup’s offering, which is extensive despite the relatively streamlined kitchen setup. The menu is divided into smoothies, acai bowls and a few carby additions (think toasties and toasts with spreads), with each item packed with nutrient-dense ingredients.
“We’re not really about calorie counting or any of those things, we’re just focusing on natural ingredients that are good for you and make you feel well,” explains Natalie. “We have a lot of bespoke products that are hard to find – things like sea moss and edible hyaluronic acid.”
On the acai front, Natalie recommends first-timers try the Mango Tango Bowl (made with fresh mango, house-made peanut butter, Greek yoghurt, granola and honey drizzle) and the Nutella Bowl (Nutella, granola, strawberries and banana).
When it comes to smoothies, you’ve got an assortment of green smoothies (including the classic Green Cup smoothie, which blends spinach, kale, banana, strawberries, blueberries, spirulina, mesquite, chia, dates and coconut water) and Super Smoothies (like the HB Skin Glaze, with strawberries, banana, avocado, date, vanilla collagen, sea moss, hyaluronic acid, berry glaze and almond milk).
Customers are able to design their own bowl or enhance their smoothie of choice with additional superfood powders and fruit and veg. Though the menu covers most bases, Natalie says that specials will rotate monthly.
“There’s probably three or four of the smoothies and four bowls that have been there since the beginning, but we do change them in and out,” Natalie explains.
With smoothie season in full swing, Green Cup’s Brisbane debut feels well timed. Acai may be commonplace now, but Natalie believes the brand’s attention to detail and insistence on doing things properly remain a point of difference.
“We’re really excited to be in Queensland and the Brisbane market,” says Natalie. “I don’t think anyone’s doing acai the way that we do – paying attention to the detail, the quality and the percentage of acai that’s actually in the bowls you’re getting.”
Green Cup is now open – head to The Directory for operating hours and other details.