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Madison’s Café, a Broadbeach institution boasting some of the most beautiful baked creations the Gold Coast has ever seen.
Filled with a myriad of colourful cakes, slices and pastries that are more akin to art than food, it’s no wonder the place has been adored for so long. And don’t forget the dreamy coffee and extensive breaky, lunch and dinner menus.
Founded in 1984, Madison’s Cafe has occupied a corner space in the Oasis Shopping Centre, overlooking the mall and drawing in huge crowds every day of the week.
We talk to owner Lincoln, a loyal advocate of Grinders Coffee for over 26 years, and pick his brains on all things coffee and what makes Madison’s such a success.
How long have you owned Madison’s Cafe? Since 1998, it will be 27 years this October, 2025.
What made you choose Grinders? 25 years ago, Grinders Coffee were considered the best coffee in Melbourne. We wanted customers to know we were a serious coffee player on the Gold Coast so we chose Grinders as our supplier, we were flying coffee up from Melbourne each week. This was a big deal at the time & really helped cement our standing as a prominent player in the QLD cafe scene.
What’s your coffee order? Flat white with full cream milk made to perfection; I drink this as a part of quality testing at Madison’s Cafe everyday.
Can you tell me a bit about your relationship with Grinders? It’s been a fantastic, synergistic relationship of 27 years. Based on trust, and integrity of the product. Grinders Coffee recognises the need to support its partners in the areas of training and keeping them up to date on the latest coffee trends. Like your mobile phone and its updates; Maddison staff needs to be consistently updated on the latest quality and trends in the coffee world.
What makes Madison’s Cafe such a great place to work? It’s a cafe, which means it’s hospitality and we work hard but also make sure to have fun whilst we’re at it. Customer’s enjoy coming into the cafe each day knowing they will be met with a team of professionals who will also make them laugh & smile. Our Ethos is ‘Work Hard and Have Fun’.
What are you most proud of regarding you & your team? The proudest thing is seeing the everyday customers turn up year in and year out. Also my staff, I’ve had many long-term staff and some of them have bought their own houses and had kids all whilst working with the team at Madison’s. I’ve been able to support the livelihoods of a lot of my staff and what them grow and flourish in their lives.
In an ever changing industry, what are some coffee trends you’ve noticed recently?
I’ve seen different milks come and go. I’ve noticed the trends focusing on alternative drink options like matcha, but you need to be able to recognise the difference between a trend and a fad. A trend goes full circle comes back again, something that was cool in the 80’s might reappear year later as ‘cool’ again and so on. A fad is something that pops up and whilst it might feel like the current obsession, it disappears just as quickly. I try to stay away from the fads because they steer you down a path that doesn’t amount to much.
