The Depot Collective Cafe

The old Franklin Street bus station used to be full of exhaust fumes. But in 2016, it had an eco-friendly exorcism and became The Depot Collective Cafe.

Now you can wander in for a coffee, between heading next door to the Adelaide Community Bicycle Workshop (for a different kind of maintenance) and picking up gardening tips from Common Ground. Collectively it’s known as The Joinery.

Also occupying The Joinery are the Conservation Council of South Australia, and DEWNR (Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources), so its eco-credentials are sound.

Maddie Harris was there to inquire about some unrelated business when talk of a cafe came up. Being part-owner of Cafe Troppo on Whitmore Square, she knew she had the chops to make it work.

Harris is an interior architecture graduate and oversaw the refurbishment herself. The white brickwork is livened up by feature walls of canary yellow. The fit-out was completed on a tight budget using goods salvaged from op shops and Gumtree.

The cafe mimics Troppo’s community-focused ethos. Food and supplies are local and sustainably sourced, reducing food miles and supporting the immediate economy. The daily soup special, vegetarian and ham-and-cheese toasties, baguettes and large salads all reflect the seasons.