EDITION 17
A Good One, Every Day
Photography by Vismo (Bruce Kloeti)
By the time the doors swing open at 6am, there’s already a small crowd gathered outside Good One Café by the lake in Belmont. The tradies lean on their utes, the gym crew is fresh from their workouts, and three friends – Holly, Nita and Summer – are poised and ready to claim their corner table.
That table is so well-loved it now has a name: The Office. If it’s already taken, the trio shrug and move to their backup spot at the windowsill, which they’ve christened Meeting Room 1. It’s this kind of familiarity, cheek and ritual that makes Good One feel less like a café and more like Belmont’s living room.
A lakeside ritual
Good One inherited a strong foundation when they took over from beloved café Common Circus. “We had very big shoes to fill,” says cafe manager Meg Abbott. “The community was already so well established, and we feel really lucky to continue that story.”
That story unfolds daily against one of the best backdrops in town. Just across the road, Lake Macquarie stretches wide and sparkling, boats bobbing on the tide, the salty breeze drifting through. “Sometimes you sip your coffee with the smell of the fresh salty air,” Meg says. “The sunrises and sunsets are absolutely stunning.”
The regulars
Ask Meg about Good One’s regulars and she laughs: “Ooft! Too many fabulous humans to choose from!”
But a few characters stand out. There’s Johnny Boy, “half man, half fish,” who’s always fresh from the surf with goggles hanging around his neck and a belly laugh you can hear from the street. Suze, the café’s unofficial plant whisperer, has turned Good One into a leafy oasis. And then there’s Lenny Bear, a true Belmont local who still lives in the house he was born in. He’s easy to spot zipping around town in his bright green ute, but every morning without fail he turns up at 7am sharp for a flat white and a chat.
Mondays belong to the retired men’s group – Brian, Stuey, T-Fizz, Bruce, David, Mick and, of course, Lenny Bear. Brian is always first in, staking out the big table before the rest trickle through. They’ve been meeting like this for years, and Good One is proud to host their weekly catch-up.
“Watching friendships form over the years has been the best part,” Meg says. “The men’s group, the office ladies… those little rituals are what makes it all worth it.”
“Sometimes you sip your coffee with the smell of the fresh salty air,” Meg says. “The sunrises and sunsets are absolutely stunning.”
Rhythm and rhyme
From the dawn tradies to the after-school rush of kids with babycinos, the café moves in rhythms that mirror Belmont itself. Mums settle in after drop-off, laptops open as the lake becomes their office. In the afternoons, kids sip their milkshakes while parents catch up.
Throughout it all, the team behind the counter keeps the energy up. “You’ll definitely hear us before you see us,” Meg grins. “We’re fun, full of laughter, and a bit cheeky. We genuinely care about what’s happening in your day – the good and the bad.”
More than just good coffee
Yes, the flat whites by Glee coffee, iced chais and matchas keep people coming back, but at Good One, the drinks are just the starting point. What really lingers is the feeling of belonging.
Meg puts it simply: “We hope you feel welcome in our space, and that you smiled at least once during your visit.”
By the time the last cup is poured and the lake turns gold, Belmont has once again gathered, laughed, swapped stories and made connections – all over a good coffee at Good One.
Good One Café
36 Brooks Parade, Belmont
Instagram @good.onecoffee