When Broadsheet visits Glory Us in Fitzroy North on a Wednesday afternoon, chef Tori Bicknell has just ridden her bike down from Strathmore, where she operates another Glory Us cafe.

It’s two weeks before opening and co-owner Mike Byard, former owner of wine bar Pretty Little and sandwich shop Bala Sanga, has been on-site making interior renovations while selling coffee and sandwiches out of the front takeaway window.

The team has now opened for dine-in trade, officially launching the second of what Bicknell and Byard hope to be a small group of Glory Us outlets.

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Their dreams are big but grounded – the result of 60 collective years of hospitality experience and a realistic understanding of what it takes to navigate the industry sustainably.

“We don't believe in putting our business or ourselves into astronomical debt to do crazy fit-outs that we’ll never get return on,” Bicknell says. “We think that business model's broken.”

While some seek to broaden the definition of a cafe, Glory Us proudly goes back to basics. There's a cosy interior, rustic homestyle cooking, and a community-focused approach to customer service.

They note some of the luxuries we’ve grown to expect at cafes – like table service and complimentary sparkling water – are unrealistic when spend per head is so much lower than at most bars and restaurants.

You order at the counter at Glory Us, which helps reduce staffing costs but doesn’t diminish customer connection. “It would be far-fetched to have a day where I don't know somebody's name that walks in the door,” Bicknell says of the Strathmore store.

Customers can dine in at a large communal table built by Byard or select from a range of jarred goods, premade meals and takeaway to enjoy elsewhere.

The menu draws inspiration from Bicknell’s upbringing in New Zealand with recipes passed down from her mum, who nicknamed her Glory. It will rotate around fixtures like seasonal salads, “deep dishes” (Bicknell’s term for bakes like frittatas cooked in casserole-style trays), soups and stews.

Sandwiches are of the fresh, hearty variety – the kinds more likely to be found at a country bakery than an inner-city sandwich shop. They’re made with Cobb Lane bread and fillings like roast free-range chicken, red and green pesto, and roasted cashews. In a similar vein, find breakfast pizza topped with eggs, cheese, homemade HP sauce, tomato jam and free-range streaky bacon.

Most items are prepared at the Strathmore site and brought down fresh each morning, but there are a few exceptions – namely savoury pies from Pie Thief and sweets from Cake House Collective, which may include cheesecake brownies, New York-style cookies and apple pie served by the slice.

To drink, there’s Rumble coffee, Bobby sodas and house-made smoothies. There’s also an outlook to secure a liquor licence down the road and open for private dinners and events at night.

Glory Us Fitzroy North
73 Reid Street, Fitzroy North

Hours:
Mon to Fri 6.30am–2pm
Sat 7.30am–2pm

gloryus.com.au