Morphett Vale Plaza has been granted a cafe wish, with the opening of its newest venue Makki’s Coffee and Cake.
After two years of not having a coffee shop within the plaza, owner Jihad Makki, decided to change that. Originally from Lebanon, Jihad has spent years working in hospitality. He first owned a takeaway chicken shop but he knew it wasn’t his dream or the direction he wanted to pursue long term.
“I always wanted to have a coffee shop and a little sandwich bar,” Jihad said. “It’s easy to grow, and it’s easy for me if I want to open another one.”
The menu is kept simple and that’s primarily to do with the ease that comes with running a cafe which doesn’t have a kitchen.
“Within five minutes, you’d be having a sandwich and start eating,” Jihad said.
There’s really no messing around when it comes to the way he runs his business. As Jihad put it, “It’s a pretty simple concept, and it’s easy to run.”
“First of all, we have the build-your-own sandwich,” Jihad said.
Of course, you can choose from the list of sandwiches, which Jihad said were already fan favourites since opening. Sandwiches range from chicken and avocado and Italian chicken to falafel or Makki’s beef which features chimichurri beef, caramelised onion, green capsicum and chipotle sauce.
But the build your own option, is a bit like Subway without all the extra fuss. It’s as simple as choosing a base like bread, focaccia, turkish or even a wrap, then a protein, before finally ending on a saucy note
“So you choose the bread, you choose the meat, and you choose the salad in it,” he said. “That’s where you build your own sandwich.”
Coffee and cake are the other primary offerings, with cakes freshly made by local baker, Sasha, before heading straight for Makki’s shelves.
“The coffee is nice, tasty and strong,” Jihad said. “People are coming back and saying good things about the coffee, it’s not weak coffee.”
If you’re ditching the coffee this winter, smoothie flavours range from Pash N Shoot and The Big S to Strawberry Split and Berry Go Round.
Makki’s feels like those general stores which have every type of milkshake flavours you could think of, and the syrups sit neatly lined up behind the counter. Think vanilla, caramel, strawberry and even a sneaky cookies and cream.
The venue itself isn’t massive, with around six tables within the building a few outside for the fresh air lovers, it’s as simple as the menu, and nobody’s mad about it. A classic cafe with just the essentials.
According to Jihad, there’s no other offering like it in the Morphett Vale area.
“I did my research,” he said. “There’s no other concept like this here, of course, cake and coffee alone, but with the sandwich concept, there’s nothing like this.”
Luckily for Morphett Vale Plaza and the surrounding community, Jihad found the gap and asks people to come visit, if not for the food, then to meet him.
Makki’s Coffee & Cake
When: Daily from 7am to 3pm
Where: 201 Main S Rd, Morphett Vale SA 5162
For more new venues across SA, click here.
