Ideally located in the heart of the new Longs Quarter precinct in Toowoomba, Sweet Talk Café is a lively and welcoming social hub.
The popular new venue is the creation of Lauren Janson-Roberts, who also owns local hair salon Cropt. “It was something that I had wanted to do for about two years. Once I had the initial idea, it took about 12 months to implement it.” Janson-Roberts co-owns Sweet Talk with her father Peter Roberts. The Roberts are originally from Gladstone but have lived in Toowoomba since before Lauren’s high school years.
Though Janson-Roberts’ hairdressing business has given her more than five years experience in the service industry, Sweet Talk is her first venture in hospitality. “The whole food side of things was new to learn, but I had really good support bases who gave me a lot of knowledge. It’s a lot of hard work but it is really exciting and fun.”
From inception, Janson-Roberts had a clear vision for Sweet Talk which she curated through exploring cafes across the east coast of Australia. “I’d say the café definitely has a really good vibe; our staff are naturally really welcoming when you walk in.” The interior styling features exposed brick, industrial style kitchen benches, millennial pink walls, and an abundance of plants. “We had a lot of help with the design from friends who live in Brisbane and own a couple of cafes. I also have good friends and family who are specialised in all the trades so that was a massive help.”
Alongside edgy Sweet Talk original creations, the menu also features brunch classics, but with that little bit of a twist that makes eating out so special. “We want people to see the value in eating out for breakfast and be able to come out and have something that they might not make for themselves all the time at home.”
The kitchen is the heart of any successful café, and Janson-Roberts says she has been blessed in having chefs who are truly talented and inventive. Customers can expect to see a new special feature on the menu every week or two, keeping the offering fresh. “We like to add specials that showcase a new idea that we have come up with, so that something exciting is happening all the time. We also change the menu to season as well.”
Since opening its doors on Boxing Day, Janson-Roberts says Sweet Talk has been flooded with friendly faces from the community. “Toowoomba is amazing because it’s the kind of place where if you supply good service and a good product people will come back and support you.”
With the community behind her, Lauren and her team are motivated to continue creating a positive energy, great food, and most importantly, great coffee for the region. “And the great part is, still so many people in the community don’t actually know about us. So as more people hear about us, things are only going to get better and better which is really exciting.”
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