A newly minted hospo group makes moves with two inner-city dining concepts
HomeTeam, the crew behind CBD coffee spots MAS and ELAN, is set to expand its inner-city interests with a pair of new culinary outposts. SweetLeaf and LuLou will cover everything from early-morning coffees and express eats to afternoon wines and high-powered corporate lunches. Here’s what we know …
Kristina Carson’s journey into hospitality took an unconventional route. More than 20 years ago, the entrepreneur and her brother Jordan purchased a small newsagency on Eagle Street, where they cut their teeth on 3:00 am milk deliveries and newspaper runs.
A few years later, the duo took over another newsagency on Queen Street, further entrenching themselves in the city’s street-level action. From this vantage point, Kristina could see how people operated and, more importantly, what they sought from their day-to-day life, which led her and her husband Vince to eventually dip their toes into the coffee world.
In 2019 the couple opened MÁS Espresso on Eagle Street, followed a few years later by the acquisition of ELAN just up the road. Now, Kristina and Vince have put a name to their thriving venue collective, coining the name HomeTeam for the group behind MÁS, ELAN and two brand-new concepts opening at 70 Eagle Street later this year.
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SweetLeaf and LuLóu are the names of the connected, yet distinct, venues. The former, a vibrant lunch spot specialising in freshly prepared meals (enjoyed on the move or in a spacious communal dining area) ideal for time-poor corporates, looks to remove the barriers between convenience and eating well. Next door, LuLóu will take things slow, offering the city an all-day destination that will be suitable for coffee meetings, long lunches, arvo wines and more.
Both venues will be brought to life by interior design team ALKOT Studio and fit-out stars Lowry Group, with internal schemes meshing functionality and aesthetics, underpinned by HomeTeam’s operational ethos of consistency and warmth.
“There’s something incredibly special about coming full circle,” Kristina says. “Our first business was here on Eagle Street, and now we’re creating something completely new here again. It feels like the right place for this next chapter.”
Stay tuned for a look inside SweetLeaf and LuLou when they open to the public.
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