The cafe scene in Adelaide is taking huge strides when it comes to the rise of funky spots with a touch of retro and vintage fit-outs. First Carton Deli, then Pinco Deli, and now The Gator Club; a plant-based cafe which evolved from an online bakery, to then a mid-century coffee van, to the now polished space on Payneham Road.
The Gator Club is brought to us brekkie and brunch-goers by Chloe Mattner, who had a dream to nourish the people of Adelaide – a dream that Chloe was determined to fulfil since she was a child. And the College Park corner store now collaborates Chole’s initial hospitality ventures, Chlo’s Vegan Club and Later Gator, into one creative and caffeinated empire.
The Gator Club comes after the rapid growth of Chloe’s coffee van and online vegan bakery, with the space now serving as the commercial kitchen for the bakery as well as a place to stock goods from the van. Wrap your mitts around Chloe’s hand-made, gluten-free choc brownies, a to-die-for range of oozy cookies, and her very own Gator Mylk; a blend of secret ingredients making for a gloriously creamy addition to your morning cuppa.
But what’s a cuppa of house-made matcha without a freshly constructed stack of pancakes or a bowl of nutty granola? The Gator Club’s menu sees brunch fare with the likes of savory croissants filled with scrambled tofu, bacon bits, tomato sauce and notzarella; toasties stuffed with miso glazed pumpkin, pesto, baked chard, caramelised onion and notzarella; and a range of bagels with a smearing of vegemite, avocado, lemon and hemp seeds – to name a few of Chloe’s tasty treats.
The bright bakehouse also offers gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and caffeine-free options for those who are looking to take it easy, as well as kombucha on tap and pressed juices which are ready and waiting to cool the palate on the warmer days. Sip on Chloe’s hand-crafted house botanicals like the red velvet with beetroot, cacao, cardamom and coconut sugar; or the blue lagoon with butterfly pea powder, rapadura and nutmeg.
The Gator Club not only offers delicious food and drink, but also serves as a retail space for local artisans to sell their wares; from candles, ceramics and jewellry to second-hand goods and hand-made stuffs – a way for Chloe to give back to the community that supported her though the numerous market appearances on cold winter mornings.
Tuck into The Gator Club’s herbivorous delights on Tuesdays through to Fridays from 7am until 3pm, and on Saturdays between 7.30am and 2.30pm.