Gun Cotton Coffee Roasters

Gun Cotton Coffee Roasters is the converted warehouse roastery at 13 Railway Street, Yandina, directly opposite the train station, and it opens at a serious 5am. The umbrella tables and lounges out front are dog territory, the coffee is roasted on site, and the weekend crowd rolls in with the markets.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables and lounging area out front, on lead; the two-level roastery interior is kept for humans. The team is used to dogs on the footpath and water bowls or the occasional puppuccino appear for regulars. On busy weekend mornings the outdoor seats go early, so arrive before the market crowd if the front tables matter.

The vibe and the menu

This is a working roastery first, and the coffee shows for it. The kitchen pulls a proper breakfast crowd with eggs benedict, a chilli crab scramble and a haloumi wrap, plus house sourdough. There is a kids play area and live music on occasions, and portions have a reputation for being generous. Opening at 5am makes it a genuine pre-dawn stop for travellers on the Bruce Highway run.

Getting there and parking

The cafe is at 13 Railway Street, Yandina, opposite the station, with free street parking around Railway Street and the station precinct. It sits just off the highway, which makes it an easy detour on the drive up the Sunshine Coast.

Close by with the dogs

The Tea Tree Park Dog Park is Yandina's fenced off-lead option for a run before coffee, and if you point the car toward the coast the Stumers Creek Dog Offleash Area pairs sand and a calm creek. Rock Hop Espresso in Coolum is another dog-welcoming stop. More options are on the Yandina destination page and the Queensland cafes list.

Saturday mornings are the busiest, thanks to the nearby markets; weekday early risers get the pick of the front tables with a dog in tow.