LET’S TALK BUSINESS - Books, coffee and community

When Lea and Rob Dodd met in Brisbane in 2010 they discovered they had the same dream – to move to the hinterland and become part of the community. Soon after, they purchased their property in Maleny.

While work and family commitments initially kept them in Brisbane, Maleny was the haven where they spent their weekends together, often with a coffee and a good book. They made the hinterland their permanent home during COVID lockdowns, and the opportunity to purchase the iconic Rosetta Books completed their dream in 2022.

Lea, Rob and the team set about adding their own special touches to the store, without changing its existing character. “Rosetta Books had a long legacy,” said Lea, “which we wanted to honour. We introduced warmer colours, and an enchanting tree arbour into the children’s section where kids can explore the magic that lies within the pages of a book.”

Rosetta customers have since enjoyed many communal author events, and recently Rosetta Books was inducted into the Glassies Small Business Hall of Fame.

The team have now taken on the coffee offering as an in-house business. “We will be introducing a number of initiatives over coming weeks to ensure our local customers and visitors alike have a wonderful experience when visiting and choosing to have coffee with us,” said Rob.

Already introduced is new street furniture and a fresh selection of cakes from local baker Zoe & Co. Local Sunshine Coast Roasters provide a specialist organic blend of coffee.

“We have three of our team now fully trained, which means while we open for coffee from 8am seven days a week, we are now able to trial extended coffee hours past the traditional noon cut off to accommodate demand,” added Rob.

Look out for more additions over coming months including specialist bakery items and batch brew. Rosetta Books is also helping to establish the new Sunshine Coast Hinterland Writers Festival this October.