Yarrabilba residents no longer need to leave the confines of the suburb for freshly brewed coffee.
Two weeks ago Harmony Café Yarrabilba opened in the display village.
The container coffee shop is operated by Access Community Services Limited, a not-for-profit organisation specialising in settlement, employment, training, housing, social enterprise and youth services to migrant, refugee and mainstream clients.
Harmony Café at Yarrabilba is the second café operated by Access as a social enterprise.
The Harmony Café concept was born three years ago in Logan Central.
Robert Hannaford, a senior manager for Access’ social enterprises said the organisation saw the café as an opportune platform to provide training and employment opportunities for Logan’s culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities and the long-term unemployed.
He said it was during a meeting with Lendlease at the Logan Central site, called Harmony on Carmody that the idea of establishing a second café in Yarrabilba was planted.
“As an emerging community, the café provides a valuable opportunity to create local employment opportunities for Yarrabilba residents,” he said.
“Partnerships like this, between big developers and community groups is the future.”
General Manager for Communities in Queensland, Guy Gibson said Lendlease was excited to be working with Access to deliver the amenity to Yarrabilba.
“The Harmony café is a great example of a social enterprise initiative that benefits the whole community, providing training, skills and local jobs,” he said.
Resident Leanne James is one of the first baristas to be employed at the café.
“It’s fantastic to be able to work within walking distance of where I live,” she said.
The café is open daily from 7am to 3pm.
