My local grocer, the ANU food coop, has recently moved into the brand spanking new premises of the Lena Karmel building at the ANU. 

With a whole lot more space to use, the coop has been thinking about using a cosy nook of the whole space as a coffee shop. I first heard of this when chatting to the friendly folk when picking up my weekly vege box, but it looks like the idea has now fully developed. 

This proposal was posted last week, and is out for comment at the moment. I seriously hope this gets off the ground. It’ll bring a sense of community to high density area, as well as providing students with jobs and skills. And for me, it’ll mean that LSR coffee is even closer than it already is at the main store in Braddon.

I seriously think it’s a great idea. A cafe run by people who aren’t expert at running it, in a part of the city where there is some seriously good coffee, could have seriously failed. The involvement of a business which is well-respected, thriving and a well-oiled machine will be a learning experience for everyone involved.  

It’s amazingly community-minded of the LSR folk to get involved. Imagine what kind of vibrant community spaces we could have in Canberra if more local businesses were willing to share their expertise. 

Brodburger is set to reopen in it’s brand new and fancy home at the Canberra Glassworks on Tuesday 27 March. 

Andrew Barr, Deputy Chief Minister for the ACT, posted this today on twitter.

It’ll be interesting to see how the experience translates into a more “normal” venue. The photo Barr tweeted also mentions a new breakfast menu. I find this particularly curious. I’ll be fully supportive if this menu consists of breakfast burgers. But if they are branching out into a generic cafe, I’ll be a bit disappointed.

While it may seem premature for me to cast my judgement, and I know that the Brod owners have full-on chef qualifications and credentials, I’ve always been a fan of places staying true to what they do best, and cutting the rest of the stuff that is merely there to satisfy a variety of consumer choice.

It’s exciting to see that the Brod will soon be back in action. I don’t think anything can really replace the experience of lining up for a delicious burger from a dodgy looking red caravan, whether in the summer heat or the icy, howling lakeside winds in winter. But it’ll surely inject even more life into the booming foreshore area and create even more parking chaos. Not to mention, well, the delicious burgers that will satisfy the cravings of Canberrans for hopefully many years to come.