Nevermind Café: The Thriving Queer Venue on the Sunshine Coast

Nestled in the vibrant Sunshine Coast community, Nevermind Café is a safe and inclusive venue providing a unique and important space for the local community. The café, opened on 31st October 2023, is not just another place to grab a coffee — it is a hub of inclusivity, creativity, and connection for the LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, and First Nations communities on the Sunshine Coast. 

The café is the brainchild of Paige and Stace, a passionate couple who relocated from interstate to call the Sunshine Coast their home. Both bring a wealth of experience from diverse backgrounds. Stace, a concreter who moved to the Sunshine Coast three years ago, and Paige, who has worked in corporate roles and been a local for six years, share a combined 20 years of experience in hospitality.

Their dream of creating a space that ties community work with their passion for excellent coffee led to the birth of Nevermind Café.

“First and foremost, we wanted to create a safe and inclusive space for the LGBTQIA+, Neurodivergent and First Nations communities on the Sunshine Coast,” says Paige.

Their vision extends far beyond coffee; Nevermind is filled with local and interstate artwork, with proceeds from sales benefiting charities such as Change The Record and Minus18.

From its walls adorned with ’90s nostalgia to a sensory stim station for neurodivergent patrons, Nevermind is not your typical café. Its extensive menu, featuring a range of vegan and gluten-free options, has become a hit with locals, especially the queer community. “Trading 7 days and having an extensive menu means that our local Vegan community and the Queers come out in force to support,” Paige shares proudly.

The café hosts a wide variety of social groups and events, making it more than just a destination for great food and coffee. From queer writers’ and book clubs to social group meet-ups and Black Coffee gatherings, Nevermind offers something for everyone. The café’s liquor licence further enables it to host monthly events and private functions, expanding its role as a community space.

“We collaborate quite a lot with the Sunshine Queer Collective, organising many LGBTQIA+ social events on the Coast.” These events include trivia and cocktail nights, queer speed dating, and more. “We do welcome everyone to hold their own events in our space as well.”

For many in the LGBTQIA+ community, Nevermind Café has provided a vital lifeline. Paige explains, “Each day we meet new faces and hear outpourings of gratitude for creating a space where people can show up as their authentic selves without any fear of judgement.”

Nevermind Café stands as the only one of its kind on the Sunshine Coast. “While there are nightclubs and pubs offering an LGBTQIA+ night here or there, we are serving it 7 days a week,” Paige notes.

As the café approaches its first birthday, Nevermind Café remains as not just a venue, but a safe haven, a beacon of inclusivity, and a much-needed community space for the region.