Bounty

Respect for the earth's bounty lies at the heart of Café Bido's menu. The owners shop daily for the freshest seasonal fruits and veggies. Because of their commitment to community, other local merchants supply some of the sweets, fresh-baked breads and 100% organic beef (from 'sam the butcher' next door) that make up café classics, like the Bido Burger.

Nick & Alexandra craft each recipe using the finest ingredients so that all the menu items taste like the home-cooked meals they are. The fresh tossed salads & home made dressings, muesli with yoghurt & craisins, and other artisan delights like Alexanda's homemade quince jelly are their signature homespun dishes. They also bake most of the desserts on site, including the disappearing mini lemon meringue tarts. Gusto was the natural choice for coffee to compliment the menu. As well as the array of T2 loose leaf teas to sooth the soul.

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Intimacy

Like you, Nick and Alexandra appreciate cosy, relaxed spaces that foster intimacy without fuss; style without pretence. The atmosphere at Café Bido is one of a friendly get-together whether you are a party of 6 sitting down to a business breakfast, or a new mother with pram seeking solace in afternoon tea and a biscuit. Take your coffee to go, or linger for a while to read the paper. Either way, Café Bido is the intimate space you need to bring peace to your hectic day.

Design

Although designed to look like an art deco diner, Café Bido is decidedly futuristic. Think Jetsons (without the talking dog). Nick's former life as a broadcast technician is evident in a design aimed to connect you to the world. Plug-in wirelessly to work, or e-chat with friends with our complimentary Wi-Fi Broadband connection. Don't forget to smile up at the Bido-Cam, which transmits the daily happenings to friends and family around the globe at www.cafebido.com.au. Or, you can use the Bido-Cam to check if there are any mini lemon meringues tarts left for pick-up on your way home from work. The cafe is also designed to get you to work on time... they open at 7am so you can a grab morning coffee and a healthy bag lunch, or brekkie on the go to take to the office. It's not fast food... it's good food... fast.

Our Family

It's simply in their blood. Both sides of the family have long and rich histories in hospitality, making Café Bido a genuinely family affair. Local landmark, "Parry's Milkbar" in Caringbah, was owned and operated by Alexandra's parents, Bill and Kathleen and her Uncle Peter (The King of Caringbah), for 36 years. Before that, they owned the Regal Café in Toowoombah. It was in these loving environments that Alexandra and her brothers learned the commitment to excellence that fosters a long-term relationship with loyal clientele. From this family history, Café Bido has inherited two legacies... dedication to the customer and the best waffle recipe that ever was. Known as the "domestic diva" to her friends, Alexandra considers herself, more humbly, as a gardener, coffee lover and cookbook junkie.

Nick's lifetime association with hospitality stems from a variety of family operations in his native home, Winnipeg, Canada - the pipeline connection for the best Canadian Maple syrup in town. One of Nick's sisters, Nancy, and brother-in-law Dimos, are the owners of the legendary "Bellamy's", famous for its continental cuisine, and his franchise pioneer Uncle Ted is remembered for establishing, over 40 years ago, the most popular pizza parlour chain in the Canadian prairies to date, "Niakwa Pizza". Perhaps the most notable influence for the concept of Café Bido, however, is grandfather Nicholas Christakos' "Silver Grill". Which offered organic burgers, home-cut fries, great coffee, and the company of friends. It's also where Nick's mother Doreen (then a nubile waitress) was courted by his father, Gus.

History

Sans Souci Iceworks circa 1910

Café Bido Today