HUMANS OF MURWILLUMBAH | PART TEN

MIKEY & DANNEKE

Mikey owns Keith alongside his wife, Danneke. They have been together for 10 years and moved to Murwillumbah in 2021. Mikey has worked in cafes for many years, primarily as a barista, and has a deep love for coffee and the café experience. Danneke’s background is in fashion design and production. When she is not helping Mikey behind the scenes at Keith, she has been working freelance with a few local brands. Keith has been around long before they became its owners, serving specialty coffee and great food from a joyful yellow and orange diner-style space. They love being able to serve the Murbah community along with their great team of staff.

1. What brought you to Murwillumbah and what do you love most about living in town or in the surrounding areas? We were living on Gold Coast, watching it get busier and more crowded, feeling like it didn’t really suit us. Then we popped down to check out Murwillumbah, originally because it seemed more affordable, and it felt like the place we belonged. A beautiful little town with history and character, small town community and yet still alive with creativity and hospitality - and still only 30mins from the Gold Coast where our family and work was. It’s the best of everything!
   
   

2. What inspired you to start your business in Murwillumbah? I (Mikey) have been working in hospitality since I was 15, always with the dream of owning my own cafe someday. After moving to Murwillumbah we were looking to get more immersed in the community, a job opened up at Keith which then turned into the opportunity to buy the business, it seemed perfect. Keith has always been a place to find community and enjoy quality coffee which we have been honoured to continue on and slowly make our own.
   
   

3. Can you share a story about a time when the Murwillumbah community came together to support one another? The clearest example that comes to mind is the devastating floods of 2022, so much of the community rallied together to help one another get back on their feet. There were a few days where no one could really get in or out of Murwillumbah, we were able come into the cafe and give out coffees while everyone gathered and began to grip what had happened. In the following days, during a time of such heartbreak, people leant into kindness and generosity, giving what they could, whether it was time, skills, possessions, anything to help one another out. The silver lining of that terrible time was experiencing the strength of community in action.
   
   

4. What are some spots in town that you would recommend to visitors? There are many roads that lead to town, we love taking different routes to enjoy the scenery from mountains to cane fields. We always recommended the rail trail and Margaret Olley exhibition at Tweed Regional Gallery. We also love the Tweed Regional Museum around the corner from Keith, the team there work so hard to put together fun and educational exhibits. The town is also home to so many small businesses and artists so we would recommend walking the streets and supporting as many as you can!
   
   

5. How do you envision the future of Murwillumbah? We would love to see the continued growth of arts and hospitality in Murwillumbah, and to see the history and architecture preserved. Hopefully it will always be a place where independent, small businesses can thrive and people can have a crack at their dreams. We think as time goes on more people will discover what this special place has to offer.

CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW MIKEY & DANNEKE ON INSTAGRAM!