Their new Runaway Bay store is a legend in the baking.
Their new Runaway Bay store is a legend in the baking.
If you’re a regular at Robina Town Centre, chances are you’ve popped into Mark Daniel’s Patisserie mid-shop to refuel. It usually goes a little something like this; the striking blue neon logo catches your eye and reminds you that it’s coffee-o-clock – and isn’t it always?! You pop in for a quick cuppa, only to be wooed by the spread of cakes, slices, cupcakes, macarons, croissants, doughnuts, toasted sangas, bagels and OMG is that a dessert JAR (yes it is). So instead of a caffeine hit to go, you instead pull up a pew and settle in for said caffeine hit, along with a deliciously divine baked good/s. Wink wink, nudge nudge.
Yep, it’s happened to us too and chances are, it’ll happen again…and again…and…okay we better not count. And look, we make no apologies because Mr Mark Daniel, you bake the world a better place! Especially now that you have opened a shop in Runaway Bay for our northern Gold Coast friends.
So what’s the backstory you ask (coz you know we always have one at the ready)? Mark Daniel’s is a family run patisserie, (and who doesn’t love a family biz?!) who started from the humble family kitchen, and built their empire working their patisserie wizardry for wholesale orders before branching out into their own brick and mortar store at Robina. With now two shopfronts, the latest making its debut in the newly renovated Runaway Bay Shopping Centre Food Court, they have added it to their list of places you can get your hands on their product, including their permanent installation at Eat Street Northshore in Brissy. See, with patisserie prowess and a bit of whisk-taking, the Daniels’ story proves that dreams can crumb true.
With everything baked fresh every day by Founder and Head Chef Mark Daniel and his team, you’re in for a treat. Quite literally. The mouth-wateringly good macarons (which are also gluten free BTW) and fabulously flaky croissants are signature eats, which taste even better when washed down with an ethically sourced and locally roasted specialty coffee from the team at Blackboard. If you can’t pick one or two macaron flavours (same) stuff it, order as many as you like and we certainly won’t judge coz pot, kettle, black. Our pick would have to be the Pistachio and White Chocolate Macaron with roasted pistachios and a white choc ganache, in a roasted pistachio green shell. Not feeling a macaron? Firstly, are you okay and secondly, may we suggest the Apple Crumble which looks nothing like a traditional apple crumble, and is as satisfying to the eyes as the tastebuds. Or perhaps you could be tempted by the Cookies and Cream Cake, Carrot Cake, Jam Donut, Lemon Meringue Donut or Fruit Danish? Should we keep going?!
If you decide to stop and smell the ‘flours’ rather than grab and go, the seated area – like the shopfront – is modern and inviting thanks to SHOPFIT Co. Decked out to complement the Mark Daniel’s logo colours, you’ll find a blend of crisp white Bentwood style chairs and cosy wall seating with inbuilt blue cushioning. There’s a white veejay panelled splashback with a strip of contrasting wood detail, white wall mounted lighting to inject a bit of mood, and of course no café is complete in 2022 without plants for greenery goodness.
So, next time you’re vibing some patisserie bites and beverages on the northern end, all you ‘knead’ to do is head for Mark Daniel’s. You’re welcome.
Where: Runaway Bay Shopping Centre, 10/12 Lae Drive, Runaway Bay
When: 8am – 5pm Monday – Sunday
Words by Bianca Trathen.