The Robot Bun Factory Cafe

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[BREAK]It's 8.45am. I step into the Robot Bun Factory Cafe in Midland, there's already a line to the door. A policeman and a courier are waiting for their coffee at the breakfast bar. I take this as a good sign. In my experience, these guys always sniff out the best coffee with the fastest service. They are not wrong. The line has evaporated efficiently before I even have a chance to open my purse.


[BREAK]An unfeasibly tall guy with a friendly looking face takes my order. I look around while I wait. The cafe has a relaxed, slightly industrial feel. Black walls with burnt orange relief and huge panels of urban inspired art. There are tables inside and out and oversized, squishy sofas that suck you back into the upholstery whispering, "just one more coffee." The music, like the lighting, is mellow and it feels a world away from the hustle and bustle of the street outside, and then, of course, there are the robots.


[BREAK]Wherever you cast your eyes you're likely to find one of these cute little tin robots. It's a whole mechanical metropolis of quirky wind-up toys. They populate the counters and bookcases, peer out from menus and adorn the walls in eye-popping artworks painted by the talented artist Cody Lehman.

[BREAK]My kids are already investigating the retro flying saucer toy when the lady behind the coffee machine leans over and shows them the monster sized remote control bot on the counter. She offers to let them try it out and gives them a smile that lights up the room.


[BREAK]I see that smile about sixty more times that morning. Customers are constantly in and out, chatting, sharing a joke and just catching up. It's a nice vibe and whilst the cafe has only been open three months, it's certainly making its mark. The clientele is an eclectic mix of hipsters, seniors, men in suits, office workers and mums. You get the sense that there is a genuine connection here to the community. The coffee arrives. It's good in the way a first cup of coffee in the morning should be. There is caramel shortbread too, but I don't get a chance to see if that's good because my children practically inhale it. They assure me it's yummy. I have another coffee, just to check if it was as good as the first one and a lemon meringue pie that is soft and zesty. This is before I even notice the menu, full of freshly made Bao buns and breakfast choices.


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[BREAK]The husband and wife team, Neil and Lesley, that run the business have clearly worked hard on getting every last detail just right. I am curious about their ideas and how an Aussie shipwright (that's a boat builder apparently) and a Taiwanese American literature student ended up as the king and queen of robot utopia.

[BREAK]It's really all fallen into place, Neil tells me, "I met Lesley when she was working at a restaurant. I was taken with her lovely smile, her warmth and the way she liked to take care of people. It was really her dream to open a restaurant. She's always worked in hospitality and I'm good with my hands and envisaging how a space might work. So it just was born out of that. We let Cody have free reign with the artwork. It's our first business and we are really enjoying being a part of what's happening in the community in Midland.

[BREAK]I decide to try the gluten free cakes (I'm not intolerant but), they look so delicious. The lemon coconut is smooth and velvety and the chocolate rose has just the right amount of bitter decadence to keep a dark chocolate lover happy. I ask if I can take Lesley's picture, she's a little shy and I don't quite get that great smile, so I ask about the robots instead and it suddenly appears again. She talks me through the wall murals and tells me the story of Ollie, their robot mascot and his failed attempts to help out in the cafe. It's charming and funny. I realise I have consumed all the cake, my work here is done

[BREAK]As we are leaving another customer arrives with her small son. He proudly runs up to the counter to show off his robot t-shirt to Lesley. She flashes that smile. He is happy.

[BREAK]I'm not a fan of faceless franchises and big chains. I like the special places that breed connection and conversation. is such a place. There is heart in this cafe and it's not the type your barista leaves on the top of your latte. This one's not made of froth, it's created from something altogether more substantial.

#cafes
#coffee
#family
#food_wine
#midland
#near_perth
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