Bringing iconic Aussie sweets to a Northern New South Wales laneway, Public Supply is attracting unprecedented crowds every morning.
For three weeks straight, a cubbyhole cafe has seen round-the-block queues from 7am each morning. The objects of everyone’s affection? Fluffy glazed baked goods and a double shot espresso garnished with Coco Pops.
Welcome to Public Supply, a hole-in-the-wall of a residential apartment block in Tweed Heads, right opposite the Tweed River. It opened at the end of August 2025, and I visit on a mid-September Sunday, hoping early-day processions have dissolved into less-hectic trickles. Peering over from a sandy beach across the road, I see a crowd growing by the second and realise I’m out of luck. Public Supply cements the Tweed Heads, a once-sleepy Northern NSW coastal town located right on the border of Queensland, as a certified foodie magnet.
You’ll find Public Supply in a totally unassuming laneway
Public Supply is the brainchild of two couples, Ross Whitlock and Alysha Buckingham, and Kurt Foggo and Kallie Hunter. The foursome envisioned serious grab-and-go potential after observing several cult foodie operations in the area, including a cowboy-themed cold brew bar (Sun Devil Drinks Co.), which draws queues around the corner, and a Detroit-inspired deep-dish pizza slinger (Franc Jrs), a hot dinner ticket just two blocks over.
Foldable chairs and milk crates offer patrons a place to sit and enjoy their order. (image: Supplied)
The unassuming cafe in Tweed Heads has become an overnight success. (Image: Supplied)
Crunchy Nut-topped coffee is another viral sensation on the menu at Public Supply. (Image: Supplied)
Built in a former Japanese eatery, the design is crafty in its simplistic fit-out. One long metal countertop with a silver La Marzocco coffee machine stacks trayfuls of scrolls at one end and drinks down the other. There’s no formal seating, but benches built into the apartment block’s laneway are snapped up by customers and the team puts out folding chairs and glass-topped milk crates to create make-shift tables. Ross and Kurt run the show, leaning on a local commercial kitchen to help whip up the daily dough, before the duo gets to cutting, baking (in the two onsite ovens behind the counter), and lavishly smothering their scrolls in various glazes.
It’s tight in there, but I spot six completely frazzle-free staffers, including Ross and Kurt, on the tools during my visit. Their well-oiled machine — which churns out about 48 scrolls per oven, per bake — undoubtedly contributes to this viral success. Kallie tells me they’re selling a minimum of 300 scrolls per day and a single Friday saw roughly 500 scrolls sold. Incredible.
Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.
AI Prompt
The must-try items on the menu at Public Supply
The Coco Pops mocha is a hit with patrons. (Image: Supplied)
The Coco Pop Mocha is my favourite item on the menu, even compared to the pudgy-perfect, lens-magnet scrolls. A large white, branded mug is filled with Coco Pops-infused milk before a double shot of espresso, crafted from house-blend beans, is added, then finished off with a generous heaping of Coco Pops. It’s entirely photogenic, just like a chocolate milkshake, only crunchy, while still offering the caffeine hit I’m craving. Even more impressive, the coffee is balanced, the taste lingering even as the Coco Pops soften. The genius of it all makes me wonder why I haven’t tried this at home. It’s priced at $11, which is reasonable for a serving of cereal and strong coffee.
The Biscoff scroll (left) and Pistachio scroll (right) are made fresh onsite daily. (Image: Supplied)
The other non-negotiable is one of their TikTok-famous cinnamon scrolls. I struggled to choose between all six varieties: the Naked Cinny ($10) sans gooey cream cheese topping, the Original Glaze ($11) with vanilla-infused cream cheese, the Pistachio ($11) with pistachio glaze and pistachio dough infusion, the Biscoff Crumble ($11) with Biscoff cream cheese and Biscoff dough infusion, the Choccy Bueno ($11) which tastes like a Kinder Surprise, and the Vegemite & Cheese Scroll ($11). Wherever you land, the dough is pillowy (as though you’re taking from the middle of a bake tray and never from the edges), the portion size is giant, and if you’re holding a glazed one, the topping is abundantly spread. BYO wet wipes because this is a glorious, messy indulgence — you can’t avoid getting sticky.
A variety of inventive Matcha options are on the menu too. (Image: Supplied)
The other trending menu items are the two matcha drinks: the Matcha Blanc ($8) with orange-infused matcha topped with cold matcha cream foam, and the Matcha Cloud ($8) with coconut water and cold matcha cream foam. I’m not a matcha devotee myself, but Kallie tells me the Matcha Cloud is a daily fan favourite.
Additionally, there are two kid-exclusive menu items: the Fairy Bread for $4, which uses the same Original Glaze cream cheese topping, and a Cereal Cup for $5, where you can choose between Coco Pops or Crunchy Nut Cornflakes with milk.
Weekly travel news, experiences insider tips, offers, and more.
How Public Supply became a viral sensation
Forget plain lattes, when your morning brew at Public Supply comes with Crunchy Nut and Coco Pops on top, you know you’ve found the spot.
Kallie tells me that on opening day, Public Supply sold out of cinnamon scrolls in 45 minutes. The following day, double the amount sold out again. On the day I visit, they’re two hours away from a midday close and figures are sitting at 461 sold. Utterly bananas.
After seeing it myself, it’s clear this cafe went viral on entirely organic terms. Ross, who created the menu and brings more than a decade of hospitality experience to the helm, genuinely loves scrolls (though more savoury than sweet) and he’s baking things he and his mates simply love to eat themselves. Serving customers with real smiles and all the patience, Public Supply is unpretentious and a true product of its relaxed riverside surroundings. The outstanding sweet novelty factor is, quite literally, the icing on the cake of this slam dunk operation.
Details
If you’re driving to Public Supply from the Gold Coast, take the Gold Coast Highway past the Gold Coast Airport to Coolangatta Rd and follow the signs to Tweed Heads. It’s about eight minutes from the airport. If you’re road tripping from Byron Bay or Coffs Harbour, drive up the M1 past the border before taking the Kennedy Dr exit. Tap Wharf Rd into Maps to reach Public Supply in just a few minutes.
Address: Shop 10/29 Wharf Rd, Tweed Heads
Opening hours: 7am to 12pm, daily, but you’ll only score scrolls from Wednesday to Sunday.
Kristie Lau-Adams is a Gold Coast-based freelance writer after working as a journalist and editorial director for almost 20 years across Australia's best-known media brands including The Sun-Herald, WHO and Woman's Day. She has spent significant time exploring the world with highlights including trekking Japan’s life-changing Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage and ziplining 140 metres above the vines of Mexico’s Puerto Villarta. She loves exploring her own backyard (quite literally, with her two young children who love bugs), but can also be found stalking remote corners globally for outstanding chilli margaritas and soul-stirring cultural experiences.
Aussies might think they know what Port Stephens is all about – but it’s time to take another look.
You might’ve driven through this NSW coast town. Maybe even stopped for fish and chips or a quick dip. But spend a long weekend in the new Port Stephens, and you’ll seriously regret not doing it sooner. We’re talking treks across beaches, reef dives and up-close time with rescued koalas.
All in all? It only takes a day before you see Port Stephens in a whole new light, and not much longer until it’s locked in as your favourite family destination.
1. Stockton Sand Dunes
Port Stephens incredible Stockton Sand Dunes are the largest moving sand mass in the Southern Hemisphere. They shift like an endless magic trick across the Worimi Conservation Lands, a 4200-hectare coastal co-managed by the Traditional Owners.
Tear over them in a 4WD. Rev through valleys soft as melting ice cream on a quad. Carve down 30-metre slopes on a sandboard. However you choose to cross them, you’re guaranteed a seriously wild ride.
Chase thrills across shifting sands. (Image: Destination NSW)
2. Scale Tomaree Head Summit Walk
A short climb through bushland opens up to the coastal drama of Tomaree Head. Spot Zenith, Wreck and Box Beaches. See the Fingal Island lighthouse and offshore rookeries where Australia’s rarest seabird, the Gould’s petrel, nests.
History buffs can’t miss the WWII gun emplacements. And if you’re hiking between May and November, bring binoculars. Travelling whales might just be breaching below.
Climb Tomaree Head for jaw-dropping coastal views. (Image: Destination NSW)
3. Watch out for whales
You’ve seen the spouts of migrating humpbacks and southern right whales from shore. Set sail from Nelson Bay to see them up close. Cruise straight into the action, with tail-slaps, barrel rolls and all.
And they’ve got competition from the local show-offs. Port Stephens bottlenose dolphins leap and play. Some tours even spot pudgy fur seals, spending lazy days soaking up the sun on Cabbage Tree Island.
Watch for ocean tails. (Image: Destination NSW)
4. Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary
Pop into the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary to learn about the rescued koalas who climb, nap, snack and heal in this natural patch of bushland. Wander the immersive Sanctuary Story Walk to discover more about their habits, then head to the SKYwalk – a treetop platform constructed for spotting these eucalyptus-loving locals. Peek into the hospital’s viewing window, where sick or injured koalas may be resting in their recovery enclosures.
Not enough time around these adorable marsupials? Stay overnight in silk-lined glamping tents.
See koalas in their natural habitat. (Image: Destination NSW)
5. Diving Port Stephens
Port Stephens has some of NSW’s best dive spots. At Fly Point, float through sponge gardens and coral castles thick with nudibranchs (AKA sea slugs). Halifax Park has blue gropers and crimson-banded wrasse, while Shoal Bay’s seagrass meadows hide pipefish, cuttlefish and octopus.
Accessible only by boat, Broughton Island is home to a vast array of marine (and bird) life. Snorkel with blue devilfish and stingrays at sites like The Looking Glass and North Rock. More experienced divers can head out with one of the many PADI-certified operators.
At nearby Cabbage Tree Island, expect to see shaggy-faced wobbegongs cruising along.
Suit up and dive into Port Stephens’ vibrant marine life. (Image: Destination NSW)
6. Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters
Not quite ready to dive in? Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters is the perfect way to spot local marine life without getting too deep. But there’s no obnoxious glass tank tapping here. Instead, this interactive aquarium allows guests to wade into natural-style lagoons that mimic the real thing.
Gently pat Port Jackson and bamboo sharks, hand-feed rays, and feel their sandpapery skin with your fingertips. It is all under expert guidance. If you want to go deeper, pop on a wetsuit and swim alongside tawny nurse sharks, white-tipped reef sharks and zebra sharks in the lagoon.
Meet the ocean’s friendliest faces at Irukandji. (Image: Destination NSW)
7. Fish the estuaries
Fishing fanatics will fall for Port Stephens hook, line and sinker. Here, one of the largest estuary systems in the whole state sees tidal rivers and mangrove ecosystems. Waterfronts are thick with oysters, and residential fish that might include anything from bream, whiting and flathead, to blue swimmer crabs, kingfish and longtail tuna.
If you prefer to choose your own adventure and fish offshore, you can hire a boat from one of the marinas and set your own course.
Join a tour or chart your own fishing trip. (Image: Destination NSW)
8. Taste new Port Stephens flavours
With plenty of activity to fill your days, refuelling on delectable cuisine becomes equally important. And Port Stephens answers the call.
Pop into Holbert’s Oyster Farm for fresh-farmed Port Stephens rock oysters and Pacific oysters, Australian king and tiger prawns, as well as a variety of tasty sauces to try them with.
Take a group to Atmos for an authentic Greek experience over large shared dishes and Greek-inspired cocktails. Or feast on sea-to-plate, modern Australian dishes at the pet-friendly Restaurant 2317.
Slurp your way through the region’s best oysters. (Image: Destination NSW)
