People line up outside Cafe Roubaix from 6.30am just to get what flows from the eatery's chocolate fountain.
The Queen Street cafe is so popular there is now talk of getting a second fountain dedicated to white chocolate, new co-owner Anthony Kellow says.
"We get the chocolate from Belgium and it is amazing," he said.
Anthony has run Cafe Roubaix for six months with his wife Toni Abbisogni and friend Jemma Maniatopoulos, who have all gone in as co-owners.
More news:
Cafe Roubaix is one of two businesses Anthony and Toni own. The other is The Cognacs Barbershop a block up Queen Street.
"My wife is an amazing barber, she is one of the best in Australia," Anthony said.
"I saw Cafe Roubaix was available because Toni and I would have coffee here. We looked at each other and she said 'do you want to do it?' We got it within three weeks."
Anthony invited Jemma to join the team after seeing her front of house work at cafes in Bath Lane.
"She is good at what she does," he said.
Anthony ultimately wants to start a restaurant and views the cafe as a good starting point.
He worked in restaurants in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne in a period that encompassed two decades and a 2014 stroke.
Your home for Bendigo business stories:
"When I was in the hospital I didn't know who my father was, I didn't know anybody," Anthony said.
"But my dad said all I could say was 'food'. I could not say 'hello' but I could say 'food'. I don't know, that's what they tell me."
The best thing about the cafe is that it is a happy place, Anthony said.
"There's no fights, no yelling. In restaurants and bigger cafes you see all the chefs and they have their ear pods in, there's no 'hellos', there's no nothing."
Digital subscribers now have the convenience of faster news, right at your fingertips with the Bendigo Advertiser app. Click here to download.
Tom O'Callaghan
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
