Hundreds of Aussies are queueing down the street and travelling from miles away to visit new beachside bakery
A new bakery in Brisbane has become an unlikely local sensation, with customers queueing down the street just weeks after it opened its doors.
Ilo Bakehouse, which sits opposite the waterfront on Wynnum Esplanade, has been drawing huge crowds for its freshly baked pastries and specialty coffee, with footage of the queues quickly attracting attention online.
Despite only officially opening in August, the ruby-red bakehouse has already become a morning hotspot, with locals reporting seeing lines outside on a regular basis.
But according to those who have braved the wait, it has been living up to the hype.
‘Best coffee I’ve had in the bayside,’ one customer declared.
‘Best in bayside for sure,’ another agreed.
‘I drive past this every day and the line is always huge,’ a third wrote.
‘I saw this line yesterday and was like “whoa!”‘ another added.
A new bakery in Brisbane has become an unlikely local sensation, with customers queueing down the street just weeks after it opened its doors
Not everyone was quite as willing to wait for their morning caffeine hit, however.
‘I see a line like that, I’m running in the opposite direction lol,’ one person joked.
Behind the new hotspot are co-owners Daniel Bowles and Tram Phan, who are no strangers to Brisbane’s hospitality scene.
Daniel is also behind popular venues Sister, Butter and Alby’s, while Tram was Sister’s longtime manager before pursuing her passion for pastry and completing extensive patisserie training.
The pair had been planning a bakery concept together before the waterfront Wynnum location became available, transforming the former Island View Café site into Ilo Bakehouse.
‘We’ve only been open a few weeks and the response has been incredible,’ Daniel told Daily Mail.
‘What sets Ilo apart is that everything is baked fresh in-house daily, with a big focus on unique flavours, quality ingredients and specialty coffee.
‘We felt Wynnum was ready for something a little different, and the local community has really embraced us.
Ilo Bakehouse, which sits opposite the waterfront on Wynnum Esplanade, has been drawing huge crowds for its freshly baked pastries and specialty coffee, with footage of the queues quickly attracting attention online
According to those who have braved the wait, it has been living up to the hype. ‘Best coffee I’ve had in the bayside,’ one customer declared
‘We wanted to create a neighbourhood bakehouse that locals could love, but that people would also travel across Brisbane to experience.’
At the heart of Ilo is a cabinet filled with pastries baked fresh each day until sold out.
Rather than sticking solely to traditional bakery staples, the menu features more unexpected flavour combinations, with signature creations including an orange and cardamom knot, miso butterscotch croissants and sourdough croissants.
‘We’re still dreaming of that miso butterscotch!’ one pleased customer wrote on their Instagram page.
There are also rotating sweet and savoury bakes, focaccia and sandwiches, with the menu designed to change with the seasons.
Sydney-based roaster Single O supplies the coffee, while more unusual options include ceremonial-grade matcha and a miso butterscotch iced latte on tap.
Rather than sticking solely to traditional bakery staples, the menu features more unexpected flavour combinations, with signature creations including an orange and cardamom knot, almond miso butterscotch croissants (pictured) and sourdough croissants
Daniel previously explained the team had deliberately introduced drinks on tap to improve speed and quality, particularly given the number of people exercising and walking along the Esplanade outside.
Positioned at 199 Wynnum Esplanade, close to Wynnum Wading Pool and with Moreton Bay just across the road, the bakehouse was conceived as somewhere customers could grab a coffee and pastry before heading to the waterfront.
The venue’s modern design is difficult to miss, too, with its red exterior and Scandinavian-inspired interiors giving the small neighbourhood bakery plenty of personality.
‘We wanted to create a space that felt warm and welcoming but still had plenty of personality and a bit of a pop to it,’ Daniel previously said.
There are also rotating sweet and savoury bakes, focaccia and sandwiches, with the menu designed to change with the seasons
Positioned at 199 Wynnum Esplanade, close to Wynnum Wading Pool and with Moreton Bay just across the road, the bakehouse was conceived as somewhere customers could grab a coffee and pastry before heading to the waterfront
Join the discussion
What makes a bakery worth waiting in line for, and would you do it for coffee and pastries?
‘Ilo’ means ‘joy’ in Finnish and was chosen by Tram, who previously revealed to Wynnum Today that it had once even been shortlisted as a potential name for her daughter.
‘We want people to walk past and say, “Oh, that’s Ilo’s place – let’s go have a coffee or a pastry from Ilo’s house”,’ she told the local publication.
The arrival of the bakery has also prompted plenty of nostalgia among long-time residents, with one person revealing: ‘I used to work in that shop when it was the fish and chip shop!’
Another reflected on just how much the bayside suburb has changed over the years.
‘I grew up here and it’s actually funny because you couldn’t pay people to live in Wynnum and now it’s worth millions,’ they said.
For Daniel and Tram, however, the early queues are hopefully just the beginning.
