Southern Cross University (SCU) has a new cafe and community space for students and the general public part of the Deck & Lounge opposite the Goodman Plaza, the Campus Grind.

Manager Lauren Flint said the name is pretty self-explanatory, "It comes from "the cafe being part of the SCU campus and coffee grind".

Before COVID, the space operated as an SCU business before having a contractor for about a year.

"After that, we put out some expressions of interest at the end of last year and didn't really get anyone suitable, so they decided to take it back over, yeah, which is really exciting," Lauren explained

"Everyone's been really supportive, and they're really happy to have a uni coffee place back open on site."

The Campus Grind only opened a week ago, so the team is small at this early stage.

"I've got three front-of-house staff and a couple in the kitchen, but I'm still hiring even today. I've just hired a pastry chef, which is amazing. She does incredible food and amazing sweets and cakes and stuff. So they'll all be made in-house.

As for future staff numbers?

"I think, at the moment, I've got it covered. We don't really know yet because we've been open for one week, so I don't really know how busy it'll be. There's only about 120 students actually on campus now, so the rest is staff, in general, on-site."

Lauren is referring to SCU students; however, there are more students on campus from other schools, such as Trinity and The Living School, plus Lismore High and Richmond River, at the entrance to SCU from East Lismore.

As well as the cafe for breakfast and lunch, the Campus Grind is offering catering and functions.

"We can do catering all on-site. We have a license for the whole of the site, and we can do it for external parties as well, but we definitely cater for any university events."

The Campus Grind has started small but has aspirations to grow back into a full-service business once another business moves out next door.

"We'll have a conference and functions area again, so we'll be able to cater to private functions and conferences in there from March. That is not just for students and staff but for anyone in the community."

"We have a pool table in the corner. We're starting a sort of chill-out space over there. I've got a few great big bean bags and things so that people can just go in and sit down and have a coffee and chill or a beer.

"We've got three local breweries we offer, none of them on tap. All the beer lines will be decommissioned; they don't work.

"So, we've got Spangled Dongo, they're from Bangalow. They just do the two beers, a pale ale and a lager. For every beer that we sell, they plant or recover one-metre square of the environment, and they support endangered animals, which is amazing.

"Common People Brewery do lots of local community work. And then we've got Seven Mile as well, and I've got wines that are from Little Giant. They support Wires and Wombat Rehabilitation.

"I've tried to choose all environmentally friendly items, which have as little plastic as possible and as local as possible.

"I'd really like to have a live music venue, and have regular evenings and push it out more to the community, and be available for what hours people want, and have a bit more of a bar going," Lauren concluded.

The Campus Grill is at SCU opposite Goodman Plaza. They operate 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday, with the kitchen operating from 8am to 2:30pm.

There is a 'grab and go' section as well for those looking to get something to eat and drink on the run that has all premade ready to go food wraps and salads.