Image (above): Google Maps
A new cafe making its way to the historic streets of Willunga, steps into a familiar location with a completely fresh vision. This sweet, cosy concept came about through a series of fortunate events, mysteriously aligning with a family theme of New Year’s luck and the colour green. More on that later.
The new cafe, Serendipity Brew, is set to take over the former site of popular vegan eatery The Green Room at 2 High Street.
For owner Rachel, who comes from a deep hotel hospitality background spanning Melbourne to Adelaide, opening a cafe in Willunga wasn’t exactly on her radar. In fact, she had left the industry a couple of years ago, thinking she wouldn’t return in any particular rush.
But as the name suggests, the universe had other more serendipitous plans.
The opportunity arose through a connection via her husband, who runs a landscaping company. When the previous owner looked to sell, the pieces fell into place in a way that felt entirely meant to be.
“Everything that was related to green was landing on our lap,” Rachel said. “I thought it’s a lucky colour for this year, so why not look into it? I wasn’t planning on running a new business, but, hey, you only live once,” she laughed.
“Serendipity came up as an accidental, unexpected blessing,” Rachel said. “People of Willunga will see something new, and it’s something that’s unexpected in the neighbourhood, and I hope that I can put that through to the food as well.”
While Willunga is famous for its incredible local produce and classic country fare, Serendipity Brew will offer a distinct point of difference by introducing unexpected flavours, drawing on Rachel’s Filipino heritage.
A few foodies might remember Rachel’s former Chinatown Plaza pop-up, which was famous for its charcoal-grilled Filipino barbecue skewers. Rachel plans to weave those hit flavours into the new menu alongside familiar Asian comfort foods like chicken satay and Thai beef noodle salad.
“Flavours that will hit you, that’s not something that’s common in a lot of Asian restaurants,” Rachel says. “In Willunga, there’s nothing anywhere near that here like that. I’m hoping to bring a little bit of the city’s flavours in the country.”
On the beverage front, coffee lovers are in safe hands. Serendipity Brew is partnering with local favorite Dawn Patrol to deliver top-tier brews.
“I’m a very big fan of Dawn Patrol. They have really beautiful coffee beans, so we want to be able to showcase their flavours in our coffee. We’re working closely with Dawn Patrol to make sure that we have, we do justice to the coffee, and we bring the comfort of coffee in a house.”
Looking ahead, Rachel is also in the process of securing a liquor licence to feature a curated beverage list that look to highlight iconic local names Mollydooker Wines and Uraidla Brewery.
With a tight two-week turnaround to transform the space, the interior is undergoing a refresh to inject warmth, cosiness, and a sense of relaxation that mirrors the stunning drive into town.
“Metropolitan cafes, it’s all about hip and patchy plating and beautiful colors. We want to be able to showcase those on the plate as well, but at the same time, our main thing here is, we want you to enjoy the scenery and relax and enjoy the environment of what we’ve got here. So think warm, calm, comfort food.”
While the final fit-out is currently a work in progress, visitors can look forward to a stunning, specially commissioned feature art wall right at the entrance (above), setting the tone for the entire space.
Serendipity Brew is ambitiously targeting 6 June of long weekend for its doors to open to the public, with an official ribbon-cutting grand opening to follow.
Keep an eye out for the vibrant new feature wall on High Street, and get ready to welcome an unexpected blessing to the Willunga cafe scene.
Serendipity Brew
Where: 2 High St, Willunga
When: Expected early June, 2026
For more info, click here.
