The Byron Corner Store is in good hands. After all, it’s been run by the Hand family on and off for over twenty years! This experience shows in the great food, coffee and the smiles for locals and visitors day in and day out.
In November 2021 the Byron Corner Store celebrated five years under the guidance of brothers Lachie and Reif Hand. But it turns out their connection to the store goes back far longer than that.
A store has been on this site since the 70’s (it used to be known as Dissons Corner). Back in the early 2000’s it was run by Lachie and Reif’s parents. They offered everything from breakfast cereals to toothpaste, as well as a small sandwich bar. It was a staple place for those on holidays in Byron Bay to stock up on supplies and to grab a snack.
“I used to work in the store when I was a teenager,” Reif says with a laugh. “It was a great after school job, though with mum and dad as the boss it was pretty hard work!”
In 2016, Reif returned to the area after a stint running a bar in Lorne, Victoria. His brother Lachie had called to say their parents’ old property was available for lease. “I had the business experience and Lachie was an experienced barista,” says Reif. Together they relaunched the Byron Corner Store.
The aim from the outset was to offer quick, quality food for breakfast and lunch as well as cracking coffee. “There isn’t a lot of room for seating, so we decided to offer a café experience in a takeaway environment,” says Reif. You can grab something on your way to the beach or watch the Byron street life from one of the seats dotted around the footpath and inside the wide-opening windows.
“Think healthy takeaway,” says Reif. “We don’t have a deep fryer, and everything is freshly prepared in store.”
Sourcing great produce locally makes sense to the brothers. “We source locally because we like to deal with great people on a regular basis,” says Reif. “So we get our lettuces from Newrybar at the Byron Bay Lettuce Company, and we get a lot of our fruit and veggies from local farms via Suncoast Fresh.”
It was Lachie who established a connection with Byron Moonshine Coffee.
“Lachie came across the Moonshine roastery in nearby Federal and he immediately identified with the family values and the commitment to quality that they offer,” says Reif.
At that time, Moonshine was new. “We’ve grown together,” Reif explains. ‘It’s such a good product and amazing brand. It’s so consistent and has an excellent reputation. Our customers love it.”
So much so that, when we asked store manager, Amy, what people’s favourite dishes are, she answers: “A 12 ounce flat white!” She goes on to add: “Also, people can’t go past a classic ham and cheese croissant and a piece of Reif’s mum’s homemade lemon slice.”
Loaded in the display area are fantastic filled croissants, from local baker Bake My Life, ready to be heated to go. Stand outs include The Benny croissant with ham, double egg, cheese and hollandaise, and the roasted croissant with pesto, tomato and cheese.
“The Brekky Deluxe wrap with bacon, egg, hash brown, relish, cheese and spinach is also super popular,” says Amy.
There are a large range of Turkish breads ready to toast, like the chicken, bacon, rocket, cheese and aioli option. Or, for a vegan meal, try one with vegan mozzarella, pesto, roasted sweet potato, zucchini and capsicum.
Pies are from Wardell’s (the duck and mushroom is legendary) and there are also locally baked Yulli’s vegan pies.
For a sweet tooth, try the house made banana bread, served warm and buttered. And those lemons slices from mum? “They are actually made by our mum on an irregular basis. She is the worst supplier ever!” grumbles Reif.
The team at Byron Corner Store are a combination of hospitality professionals and locals working and studying.” We have a strong commitment to locals finding employment,” Reif explains. They have a long-standing relationship with Byron Bay High School and students have completed traineeships with the team over the years.
When it comes to Byron Moonshine Coffee, speed and quality are at the forefront of what they do.
“We have a technical approach to our coffee service,” Reif says. “We use clear parameters on our dosage, volume and timing of each shot to consistently achieve the best flavour. Plus our equipment set of a Mazzer S grinder, PUQ press and La Marzocco Strada gives our baristas the ability to produce exceptional quality coffee quickly and consistently. “
Byron Corner Store
Open 7 days (6am - 3pm)
47 Jonson Street, Byron Bay NSW 2481
Visit byroncornerstore.com or phone 02 6685 6672
Enquires at byroncornerstore@hotmail.com
