Queue-magnet cafe Florian’s new spot gives you more of the food you love, and then some

A narrow strip of real estate on Rathdowne Street has slowly become the domain of perennially popular Carlton North cafe Florian. The original venue (now five years old) was joined by an interiors shop last March, and now a third space focused on takeaway sits in the seam between the two.

Beyond selling coffee and the cafe’s in-demand sandwiches, Florian To-Go will eventually act as a providore, open morning till evening.

“It’s more like an extension of Florian, an extended branch,” says co-owner Dom Gattermayr.

“We always talk about how Florian needs a bit of space to breathe,” adds business partner Rose Richards.

The ultra-busy cafe’s existing takeaway trade sits right at the front door, where people are ordering coffee, choosing a sandwich and paying for their omelette. Then there are the constraints of kitchen and storage space.

Florian To-Go, which opened in early February, changes the geometry. An open kitchen provides more room to prep and, with no dine-in trade, there’s more room to display products and more headspace for staff to explain what’s on offer, from cheddar quiche to topped focaccias, and salads to savoury galettes.

For now, morning grab-and-go might feature pretzel rolls with gravlax and cream cheese; pots of bircher muesli; or an egg and fried mortadella English muffin. Pastries from North Melbourne’s Austro bakery remain in the line-up.

At lunch, petite baguettes with cheddar and pickled green tomato come out, joined by the beloved Florian chicken salad sandwich, and focaccia pockets filled with either agrodolce meatballs and tahini, or roast pumpkin with pistachio pesto. A daily lunch plate of rotating proteins, grains and roasted vegetables is in the works.

Gradually, the shop will build out a vibrant selection of take-home-ready food, although Gattermayer is keen to avoid the familiar genre of heat-and-eat convenience. “We’re really trying for it to not be another Cryovac lasagne, even though that’s great,” she says.

Instead, trays might be loaded with stuffed vegetables, sweet potato gratin, and meatballs scattered with pine nuts, currants and parsley. In the jarred section, you’ll soon find massaman curry (both vegan and meat versions), wallaby bolognese, dips and pesto, dressings and pickles, plus pantry staples.

The new space has been about four months in the works. The centrepiece is a burnished brass bar found on Facebook Marketplace, a “logistical nightmare” that required a truck and forklift to wrangle through the door. It’s also the Florian story in miniature: resourceful, hands-on, and a little chaotic in the way good hospitality projects tend to be.

The vibe is cosy and warm rather than shiny new, with a painting by Melbourne artist Mark Bo Chu, and fresh signage painted by the duo’s friend Georgia Harding. There’s technically no seating, but you’ll still be able to order the sandwiches to eat next door if you want to dine in.

However, Gattermayr and Richards hope that Florian’s lunch menu can finally get the attention it deserves. The pastas, schnitzels and by-the-glass wine list have long been there yet were often overlooked.

But the biggest upside of Florian To-Go, they say, is more availability, less of the sold-out-by-the-time-you-arrive scramble.

“We want to have something available until we are closed,” Richards says.

As the take-home offer grows, opening hours will be extended further into the afternoon.

Open Mon-Fri 7.30am-3pm, Sat-Sun 8am-3pm

619 Rathdowne Street, Carlton North, floriancarlton.com.au