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February 7, 2014
The former Artist’s Cottage complex opposite Kingaroy Airport will get a new lease of life this weekend when The Starving Artist Cafe opens its doors to the public.
The new cafe is the brainchild of well-known South Burnett artist Donna Oberan.
It is the first venture to open in the complex since the Belleville Cafe closed there almost six months ago.
Donna told southburnett.com.au today she had been driving trucks for the past two years to take a break from painting, and said “her heart broke” as she drove past the complex every day.
“This is such a beautiful place,” she said. “I thought it was tragic to watch it sit here unused and empty.
“So I’m opening my own cafe here and I hope it will be start of bringing this fabulous property back to life.”
In its heyday earlier this decade when the complex was run by Garry and Karla Eyre, the Artist’s Cottage boasted an art gallery, a cafe, and had many craftspeople operating studios on-site.
The complex also offered regular art classes to students and ran regular Sunday markets.
But ill-health forced the couple to move on at the end of 2010.
The buildings then sat empty until January last year when the Belleville Cafe opened.
However, that venture proved short-lived and the cafe closed at the end of September 2013.
The history doesn’t faze Donna who is looking forward to the challenge of reinvigorating the complex.
“The cottage is located a short drive out of the CBD and we hope it will be a nice alternative for people to visit on weekends,” she said.
The cafe’s menu will change with the seasons, and Donna wants to offer visitors wholesome, fresh local foods in a relaxed and happy atmosphere.
She will be assisted behind the counter by two of her sons, one of whom has already had experience as a barista in a busy CBD cafe.
Donna would also like to restart the Cottage’s popular Sunday markets, and encourage artists and crafts people to set up studios in the complex again.
“It would also be nice if we could get an art group to use the exhibition spaces available here. But one thing at a time…”
The Starving Artist Cafe will serve coffee, tea, smoothies, cakes and light meals from 9:00am to 2:00pm every Saturday and Sunday.
Bookings aren’t necessary and EFTPOS facilities are available.
