Gritty Garms Co has opened a new Mermaid Beach flagship, pairing vintage fashion with specialty coffee

After building a devoted customer base through carefully curated vintage finds and an unfiltered social-media presence, Gritty Garms Co has entered a new chapter with the opening of its Mermaid Beach flagship. The larger space combines the brand’s carefully sourced vintage collections with specialty coffee, bringing Hugo and partner Amara Gray’s long-held vision to life.

As the business grew, so too did Hugo’s obsession with sourcing. What began with selling second-hand clothing online soon became a relentless pursuit of unique vintage pieces, with Hugo progressing from entry-level wholesalers to rare international suppliers that few others in Australia had access to. Along the way, he cultivated a sizeable online audience by documenting the realities of running a small business – sharing the wins, losses and long nights that come with turning a passion project into a livelihood.

In August 2024, Gritty opened its first physical store in Palm Beach. With no street frontage and fitted out on a shoestring budget, the tiny store wasn’t an obvious recipe for success. Despite the odds, Gritty quickly developed a fiercely loyal following, helping cement Gritty’s reputation as one of the Gold Coast’s go-to destinations for vintage fashion.

When the Palm Beach site was earmarked for demolition, the search for a new home began. What followed was more than a year of inspections, conversations with agents and near misses. The timing wasn’t ideal – the couple had recently welcomed their first child and found themselves unexpectedly without a store for several months. Then a listing for a new Mermaid Beach space appeared.

“I saw the listing, booked an inspection and when I walked in, I instantly could see the vision,” Hugo says. “It just clicked.”

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That vision wasn’t simply a bigger version of the original store. For years, Hugo and Amara had spoken about combining specialty coffee and vintage retail under one roof. The idea stemmed from a simple observation – people were already grabbing a coffee or matcha before heading vintage shopping, yet few businesses were bringing the two experiences together in a meaningful way. The Mermaid Beach store finally gave the pair an opportunity to bring that concept to life.

While Hugo oversees the retail side of the business, Amara now leads the cafe. A barista for more than eight years, she has developed a drinks menu that draws on her South and South-East Asian heritage while remaining approachable.

Alongside specialty coffee, matcha and house-made cold foams, the menu features a trio of signature drinks that have quickly become standouts. The BBC features an iced latte crowned with burnt-brown cinnamon cold foam, served with a cinnamon-glazed scroll, while the Ubeo layers vibrant purple ube Oreo cold foam over matcha, paired with an ube-glazed scroll. The Pandan Coco blends pandan cold foam, coconut water and espresso, finished with a pandan-glazed scroll. Each drink is designed to be enjoyed alongside its matching mini scroll from local favourite Cinnamon & Co.

The fit-out itself builds on the industrial character of the original Palm Beach store, but with a more polished edge. Hugo describes it as industrial with a splash of Bauhaus and pop-modern influences, layered with carefully sourced furniture, artwork and personal touches. The pair already have plans to continue evolving the space with posters, graffiti and creative installations that make it feel unmistakably their own.

That community focus sits at the heart of the concept.

“The vintage scene can sometimes feel a little transactional,” Hugo explains. “Being able to slow everything down with a coffee and a chat really improves the experience.”

As for what’s hanging on the racks, expect a carefully curated mix of vintage pieces sourced from around the globe. Hugo has a particular soft spot for the store’s collection of vintage spray jackets and early-2000s finds, but every piece is hand-picked for its quality, character and individuality. Unsurprisingly, the racks lean heavily into the nostalgia-fuelled Y2K revival.

For the pair, however, Gritty has always been about more than clothing. More than anything, Hugo hopes the venue becomes a gathering place for the local community – somewhere friendships are formed, creativity is encouraged and people feel comfortable lingering long after they’ve finished their coffee.

“I hope the brand becomes a beacon of hope for underdogs,” he says. “You don’t need a million-dollar loan or a fancy fit-out. Your age doesn’t matter in starting a business. What we’ve proven is that all you really need is a good idea, a healthy dose of work ethic and the confidence to back yourself.”

Head to The Directory for opening times.