Something a little exciting, fresh, and caffeinated has recently opened in the sleepy old suburb in Lake Macquarie’s suburb of Boolaroo so we’ve dropped by to see what all the fuss is about. Meet - The Pavement Society!

Brought to you by self-confessed coffee-crazed doggo lover, Abby, The Pavement Society is Lake Macquarie’s newest, freshest, and most welcoming community café to open.

Originally from Ballarat, Abby has a rich history working in the world of specialty coffee and has been a manager for some of the top cafes in Melbourne before relocating to Teralba with her husband, Nick, in February this year.

“I was managing some hectic cafes in Melbourne, and I had always wanted something of my own,” Abby said.

Over the lockdown period in Melbourne, Abby launched her own brand, Ohana By Abby, home to handmade candles and dried florals, which was the starting point of how The Pavement Society came to be.

“We were just going to open a candle store, but my main trade has always been coffee. I decided I wanted a tiny shop covered in little bits of gold so I was looking at this street because it was so close to home.

“I wanted to open in an area that could appreciate the love that we could give to a suburb… coming to this street, nothing was open on a Sunday in the area, and it was screaming for something like this.”

Having only opened just recently on the 12^th of October, The Pavement Society has already built itself a strong reputation for good coffee, good toasties, good vibes, and more!

The cosy nook of a space has a commanding street presence with a fresh off-white exterior with picnic tables taking over the walkway for outdoor seating and customers flocking in and out consistently.

Stepping inside you can see the team has utilized every single inch of the small interior space to create an oasis dedicated to coffee, toasties, florals, and candles just off Boolaroo’s sidewalk.

From the statement khaki green coffee machine and huge floral installation created by Abby herself to the textured wall and goodies dotted throughout, there’s a little something to discover in every corner. Make sure to take note of the front door handle – it’s a quirky point of difference we’ve not seen before in Newcastle or Lake Macquarie.

“We can offer a bunch of dried flowers, candles, coffee, and food all from under one roof. We want to be known as a boutique sandwich and coffee bar.”

Working with Melbourne-based coffee roasters, Dimattina Coffee, specialty coffee is a huge focus for the local café.

“Dimattina Coffee are very old-school Italian, and I’ve used their coffee in competitions over the years. Their cup profile base is caramel, and Little Big Dairy is the local milk that we use so it really tastes like sugar in a cup but with no sugar; it’s so beautiful!”

Onto the food menu, Abby is working with several local baked goods stores like Snows Patisserie, Bouffant, and Bob & Pete’s. Expect some delectable, sweet treats like the French canelé, almond croissant, and the infamous cheese stick all of which may be on display.

The toasties are of course going to be a crowd-favourite with their flavours rotating. Be sure to expect lots of crunchy, juicy goodness, with a salt sprinkled top.

Whether you’re a local to Boolaroo or surrounding areas and are on the lookout for a new favourite coffee joint, love browsing a cosy little nook of a store, or just have a need to check out something fresh on the hospitality scene, drop on in to The Pavement Society and be amongst the first to experience this great new community café.