![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/04\/takeabreakcafe_64594.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
“I knew I could make a better one for the same price.”<\/p>\n
Shadbolt developed his recipes through trial and error.<\/p>\n
“I just worked on a good base of the pie mixture – the plain mince and the chunky,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Then you make your flavours from that.”<\/p>\n
Despite being encouraged to enter pie competitions, he has little interest in chasing awards.<\/p>\n
“I’ve had people ask me if I want to do that, but I just like to keep it low key,” he said.<\/p>\n
Beyond the food, the caf\u00e9 has helped reshape the space beneath Sunnyside Mall.<\/p>\n
Once a quiet area, the precinct has evolved into a social hub, with nearby businesses including Lucid Pure Vegetarian and The Bio Organic Farm.<\/p>\n
“It used to be a bit dead down here,” Shadbolt said.<\/p>\n
“But then we opened up, Lucid opened up, and then The Bio Organic Farm as well, and now it’s become a cool little area.”<\/p>\n
The caf\u00e9 has become a meeting place for regulars, particularly older residents who gather throughout the week.<\/p>\n
“It brings a lot of the oldies together,” he said.<\/p>\n
“We’ve got little groups of people that met because of the caf\u00e9.”<\/p>\n
“There’s one table that started with one or two ladies, and now there’s about 15 of them.”<\/p>\n
Longtime Murwillumbah local Debbie Kaehler said she regularly attends the caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n
“It’s a very good atmosphere here,” she said.<\/p>\n
Even as cost pressures begin to rise, Shadbolt said the focus remains on keeping prices affordable.<\/p>\n
“We’re just waiting to see the effect of everything before we make any decisions on price rises,” he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
TAKE A Break Caf\u00e9 has become a fixture in Murwillumbah, serving up affordable meals and drawing regulars into its space beneath Sunnyside Mall. Since opening in 2015, the family-run business has built a steady following, with its pies becoming a local staple and the caf\u00e9 evolving into a gathering place. Located beneath the mall, the […]<\/p>\n