Door-knocking might be an unlikely way to find a location for your new business, but Nicole Hoffman had serendipity on her side. Seven years ago, she walked into a shop, asked the owner if it was for sale and he said yes. It was directly across from Cotton Tree Caravan Park, where Nicole had spent her childhood holidays. As Nicole was about to discover, this wouldn’t be the first time her past held valuable clues to her future.

When Nicole opened her first Cafe Envy in January 2004, it was quite removed from the life she had been living. Nicole had been a legal secretary for nine years; a job she generally enjoyed. She had even been a finalist for Secretary of the Year. But back from a working holiday overseas, Nicole’s feet started to itch.
“The walls felt like they were closing in on me,” she remembers. “It was so quiet, I felt like I was holding back my vibrancy a little bit.”
It got Nicole thinking about her other life. She’d always dabbled in the hospitality industry and particularly loved the work while travelling. There were even hints of her talent at her law firm, where she’d often received compliments after making clients a cuppa. “They’d say ‘you make the best coffee’. It was only instant!” Nicole laughs.
So, with the support of husband Chad, Nicole decided to take the plunge. She set about creating a cafe that reflected her personality; health conscious and friendly with a penchant for mismatched decor. Nicole borrowed gluten-free recipes from Chad’s celiac grandmother. She scoured second hand shops, eBay and even roadsides for furniture. It didn’t take long for Nicole’s efforts to pay off. Word of mouth quickly made the cafe a local institution. Nicole suspects it was the whole package that appealed to customers, what she calls the ‘Envy experience’.
“We create a really cosy atmosphere,” she says. “It’s where people can relax and not feel like they have to rush out the door. Also, we have fresh, healthy food and drink and we make everything on-premise.” Nicole’s also proud she’s doing her bit for the environment. The business sells locally-made, recycled coffee bags. All the furniture and decor is pre-loved. “Why throw them out when they’re beautiful pieces?”
It wasn’t until after the cafe opened that Nicole became convinced hospitality was what she was born to do. The realisation came from reflecting on her childhood in Brisbane. Food was always in the family. Nicole’s mother worked in the industry and two of Nicole’s five siblings had gone on to become chefs.
“As a child I’d always baked,” she explains. “I’d come home from school and bake. I’d go to tuckshop with mum and help her and for sporting events I’d jump in on my lunchtime and serve. So I realised this is exactly what I’ve always loved to do.”
Nicole loves telling others that part of her story because she hopes it can help them. “I think the key to finding your passion is to think about what you loved as a child and pursue it.”
Now that Nicole’s found her passion, she hasn’t looked back. She was named Corporate Businesswoman of the Year in 2007 by the Sunshine Coast Business Women’s Network. Since Cafe Envy’s catering service started two years ago, it’s taken on everything from corporate sandwich platters to wedding receptions. Just last month, a second Cafe Envy opened in Mooloolaba.
Don’t count on an Envy chain anytime soon. Nicole hopes to open another cafe but she likes the idea of staying relatively small because, “it’s important that you’ve got your finger on the pulse all the time and I think if you branch out too big, it’s hard to do that.” She might also one day take a new direction by opening a retreat, based on the same healthy principles applied to Cafe Envy.
In any case, Nicole has always made sure she keeps plenty of time for her children Abby, aged four, and Riley, 14 months. “We’d only had the business for a year and a half when we had Abby,” Nicole says. “I’d decided I wasn’t going to make it hard for myself. I’ve always wanted to be a mum so I put in a manager and that was wonderful.”
It also helps to have a fantastic husband. Nicole and Chad have known each other since they were 14-year-old school friends. They started dating at 22. Chad is a qualified pilot but helped build both cafes and now works in the kitchens. “My husband has been a huge part of my success.”
Chad isn’t the only team member Nicole values. She makes it her “number one priority to look after my staff and treat them well. They’re promoting your business and I don’t want anyone to be intimidated walking through my doors.”
Nicole extends that welcoming to local artists by adorning the cafes’ walls with their work. “I love colour,” she explains. “It creates a nice atmosphere so I thought, why don’t I get someone to change my atmosphere every month?” It’s an opportunity artists are keen to take up. The waiting list is now two years long.
Keeping up with demand seems to be as hard as it gets for Nicole. She’s asked if there’ve been difficulties in her chosen career and she replies she’s pleased she has to think about the answer. She admits it’s sometimes tricky to find time for herself but adds that, “because I’m doing something I love, I really find it all – touch wood – quite easy”.