CHUT & CO -Thriving Mermaid Beach Cafe — Priced to Sell
Chut & Co is a specialty coffee cafe located on the ground floor of Mermaid Plaza, right on the busy Gold Coast Highway in Mermaid Beach. Anchored by Woolworths Metro, Super Butcher, Cellarbrations, and Chempro Chemist, the plaza attracts a steady daily flow of commuters, office workers, shoppers, and locals — all without the business spending a cent on marketing.
The concept is straightforward and highly effective: exceptional ONA specialty coffee, fresh high-quality ingredients, and a menu focused on doing the simple things exceptionally well. After three successful years, the loyal customer base speaks for itself through consistent word-of-mouth support.
With a newborn arriving very soon, the current owners simply won’t have the time this thriving business deserves. The cafe is in its best shape yet, but it needs an owner ready to give it the attention it warrants. Their family milestone is your genuine opportunity to step into a turnkey, profitable operation.
Why This Business Works
Prime, high-traffic location with built-in foot traffic. Mermaid Plaza isn't just any shopping centre. With Woolworths Metro as the anchor, customers visit multiple times per week — and the cafe sits right in their path. Free underground parking and high-speed Wi-Fi make the plaza a destination in its own right. You're not fighting for foot traffic here. It comes to you.
ONA Specialty Coffee — a brand that does the selling for you. ONA is one of Australia's most respected specialty coffee roasters. Customers who know coffee seek it out. Customers who don't know coffee are converted by it. The cafe has built its entire identity around serving it well, and the feedback from regulars reflects that.
$95,000+ in premium equipment — barely run in. Every major piece of equipment is 1–3 years old, maintained to a strict preventative schedule, and has an expected lifespan of 10+ years. An incoming owner is not walking into capital expenditure. They're walking into a fully equipped, commercial-grade kitchen and cafe setup ready to go from day one.
Four staff. Two per day. Self-managing. The roster largely runs itself — staff arrange their own cover when needed. Owner involvement in day-to-day operations is minimal. This is genuinely passive for a hospitality business.
Lease locked in to 2032. The current lease runs to March 2027 with a 5-year option exercisable to March 2032. The landlord (BJM Markeri Pty Ltd, the developer and owner of Mermaid Plaza) has offices on-site and maintains a professional, positive relationship with tenants. Lease security here is real.
Large underground storage room included. The tenancy includes access to a generous underground storage room, providing ample space for stock, supplies, and equipment — a genuine luxury in a cafe of this size and something most comparable businesses simply don't have.
Full operational systems included. Detailed Excel-based financial models covering cost breakdowns, product-level margins, supplier pricing, and competitive benchmarking. Food safety and compliance programs. Everything a new owner needs to understand and optimise the business from their first week.
Untapped Growth Potential
- Evening trade: Building approval allows trading until 10:00pm, yet the cafe currently closes at 2:30pm on weekdays. Evening service remains untested.
- Underutilised kitchen: Full commercial capacity exists for catering, expanded menu options, and increased food production.
- Zero digital marketing: No Instagram strategy, loyalty program, email list, or paid ads. Growth has come purely from foot traffic and word of mouth — a buyer skilled in digital marketing can quickly scale visibility.
- Upcoming infrastructure boost: Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3 is advancing, with a new stop near Mermaid Beach set to increase pedestrian and commuter traffic significantly in the precinct.
- Neighbouring development: Interest in the adjacent vacant lot (including from Australia Post and wellness operators) will bring even more visitors to the plaza.
This is a rare chance to acquire a well-established, low-maintenance cafe in an excellent location at an attractive price. With strong fundamentals and multiple growth levers ready to be activated, Chut & Co offers immediate returns and excellent long-term potential for the right hands-on or semi-absentee operator.
Property Code: 201
For more details, please email broker or call agents.
