Wake up and smell the coffee: Melbourne’s newest apartment developments with an onsite cafe

The practical amenity not only brings the daily caffeine fix closer to future residents, but also nurtures a community vibe. 
Wake up and smell the coffee: Melbourne’s newest apartment developments with an onsite cafe
The cafe at Kokoda's Malvern Collective. Image supplied
Urban EditorialFebruary 26, 2024PROJECT ROUNDUP

The Australian coffee market is among the largest in the world.

Data by Statista found that in 2022, Australia exported over $90 million worth of coffee, with coffee imports over 12 times the value of exports. The revenue of the coffee market is over $9 billion, and the domestic coffee consumption amounted to more than 2.2 million 60-kilogram bags in 2023, with Australians consuming, on average, around two kilograms of coffee per person.

A growing trend is occurring in Melbourne's off the plan apartment landscape, Australia's coffee capital, with the increasing integration of in-house cafes.

The practical amenity not only brings the daily caffeine fix closer to future residents, but also nurtures a community vibe. 

In this article, we take a look at Melbourne’s newest apartment developments with an onsite cafe.

Project: Candela Ivanhoe

Location: 40 Upper Heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe VIC 3079

Developer: Salter Brothers

Melbourne developer Salter Brothers is bringing Candela Ivanhoe to the heritage-rich suburb of Ivanhoe. This upcoming development, designed by Turner Studio, offers 62 apartments in a prime location, just a six-minute walk from Ivanhoe Station. 

Residents will enjoy proximity to parks, restaurants, and prestigious schools in this walker's paradise. In addition to enjoying all the surrounding neighbourhood has to offer, Candela residents will also benefit from an in-house cafe, wine bar and rooftop gardens. 

The building's podium level, designed as a publicly accessible piazza, will house a cafe and various commercial spaces. 

Additional amenities include outdoor seating, an atrium, a providore, and a rooftop garden, enhancing the drinking and dining opportunities for residents amidst landscaping by Arcadia.

Project: The Eighth

Location: 8 Palmerston Crescent, South Melbourne VIC 3205

Developer: Projects by Crema

Nic Crema, head of Projects by Crema, aimed for something unique on his Palmerston Crescent site, strategically positioned near St Kilda Rd and amidst three of Melbourne's top parks. 

The outcome is The Eighth, a mixed-use development featuring commercial office space, 36 high-end apartments, a resident rooftop with a pool and bar, and a holistic corporate well-being business on the podium level.

Convenience is also at the foot of the building with Palms Cafe and Beppi's Wine Bar on the ground floor. The coffee lover will not run out of options as coffee spots are also plentiful nearby, with The Kettle Black and Albertchino Cafe just around the corner.

The 18-level building, designed by Elenberg Fraser and Kennon, has recently been completed, welcoming its first residents during the Christmas break.

Project: Malvern Collective

Location: 2 Station Place, Malvern VIC 3144

Developer: Kokoda Property

Kokoda Property's 4,714 sqm site at 2 Station Place will bring two JCB-designed apartment buildings with luxury amenities, as well as new dining, retail, and commercial options to Malvern.

The Malvern Collective precinct aims to create a 0-minute neighbourhood, ensuring everything is easily accessible. 

It's the only development in Malvern that offers the convenience of both direct access to a train station and a retail precinct of coffee shops, restaurants, wine bars and lifestyle services directly below. 

The precinct will also include six hospitality venues, a health and wellness centre, a gym and a pilates studio, and will adjoin a 600 sqm Woolworths Metro.

Project: 333 StK

Location: 333 St Kilda Road, St Kilda VIC 3182

Developer: Matrix Developments

Future residents at Matrix Development's 333 Stk will enjoy a well-rounded lifestyle thanks to a variety of on-site amenities and facilities.

The 76 apartments are elevated above a podium, which will have two retail spaces, expected to be a mini grocer and a specialty bakery cafe.

Communal areas include a private dining room, a versatile lounge for media, conferences, and meetings, an exclusive gym for residents, and a rooftop retreat with a built-in barbecue and comfortable seating—also an ideal spot to savour coffee with a view of St Kilda.

Project: WOBO

Location: 103-105 Boundary Road, North Melbourne VIC 3051

Developer: Orb Property Partners

WOBO marks the first stage and release of Orb Property Partners' multi-stage mixed-use project, The Tapestry, set to become a creative hub in North Melbourne.

Designed by Fender Katsalidis and Oculus, WOBO comprises 99 warehouse-style apartments on top of a retail arcade, cafés, restaurants, bakery, hairdresser, beauty salon and a multidisciplinary medical centre on the podium level.

Crowning WOBO is a rooftop, where residents can also enjoy a cup of coffee and al fresco dining on the lounge or around the fire pit with panoramic views of the city, green parks, and Docklands.

Project: BLVD

Location: 19 Hoff Boulevard, Southbank VIC 3006

Developer: OSK Property

Upon completion, OSK Property's BLVD will stand tall at 73 floors, accommodating nearly 600 apartments and a range of resort-style amenities.

It will be part of the established Melbourne Square community, which already includes completed East and West Towers, Kennedy Park, and extensive retail options.

The square's anchor tenant is the double-storey, full-line Woolworths, there is also a BWS, Pacific Asian grocery store, Sama Sama Malaysian restaurant, an 87-place childcare centre, and 10 Hoff Café offering a variety of sweet and savoury baked goods, juices, smoothies, and coffee.

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