Queensland institution Dandelion & Driftwood has closed its doors after eight years of service to the Brisbane community.
Owners Peter and Penny Wolff believe it was time for their beloved Dandelion & Driftwood café to “pivot and change” and made their last coffee on 10 June.
Penny says the heartfelt messages that poured in after the announcement of closure was a testament of the impact this little café had on the coffee community near and far.
When Peter and Penny opened Dandelion & Driftwood, a suburban café in Hendra in 2010, there was nothing else like it. They opened with a front counter lining with impressive coffee kit. They had a vision to provide delicious specialty coffee and tea, and old school table service with a modern twist.
“Through hard work, consistency of our product and great customer service, we built a following of customers that respected what we did,” Penny says. “On weekends, customers were willing to line up and wait for tables. Many would say this café completely influenced the café scene in Brisbane forever.”
Dandelion & Driftwood won countless awards over the years for its service to the local community, but Penny and Peter say it’s the time spent with loyal customers that they treasure most.
“We thoroughly enjoyed serving all our regulars, sharing stories, having a giggle and putting smiles on their faces. We have seen families grow and change right before our very eyes,” Penny says.
Customers have also seen the Wolff family coming of age. Penny and Peter’s daughter Xanthe, as a tiny eight-year-old, would push the lolly trolley around the shop when the café first opened. She is now a barista, in her final year of high school and preparing for university.
With the sale of the running café, Peter and Penny have retained the brand Dandelion and Driftwood. They see this as an opportunity for Dandelion & Driftwood to branch out with other exciting endeavours planned for the future.
“Never fear, D&D will be popping up again next year in a new location with some new innovation,” Penny says.
In the interim, Penny says it’s business as usual for Wolff Coffee Roasters, which includes wholesale roasting, education through the Wolff College of Coffee, and Probat sales in Australia and New Zealand. It also operates a new premium artisan wholesale brand, Studio Espresso, throughout Queensland. Peter and Penny are still active in both the retail and wholesale sector, operating Queen of Pops in Clayfield and Big Bad Wolff Espresso Bar in Hendra.
