Share your memories of Shingle Inn
Shingle Inn was established in 1936 on Edward Street, Brisbane, Australia. With its warmly lit windows filled with delicious cakes and delicate sweet treats, Shingle Inn quickly became renowned for its unique environment, superior quality food and outstanding service.
Visualised as an English teahouse by founder, WR Webster, and built amidst the backdrop of the Great Depression, Shingle Inn became a haven; somewhere to create precious memories with loved ones. Having only ever been owned by two families, Shingle Inn has been able to retain the heritage and tradition that has warmed the hearts of generations of customers as they go about their busy lives. Even after 80 years, this focus remains at the core of all that we do. Today, with our ever-increasing franchise family at the forefront, Shingle Inn’s intimate booths and plush, highback chairs create a sanctuary, ensuring our stores remain a destination that can reach across the generational divide to provide the backdrop for special occasions with family and friends.
Memories of Shingle Inn over the years…
“… fabulous, unique, flavoursome symbol of the city’s history and memory and spirit …” – Former Australian of the Year, Geoffrey Rush AO, describing the glory of the original Shingle Inn, The Courier Mail 2005
“I’ve been going to the Shingle Inn since my early 20s when I used to work in the city. Now we go to Mt Ommaney Shingle Inn and my three kids love the little high tea there. When we go with my mum Drene – their grandma – it’s a special family time for the three generations and that’s our special day together.” – Tess Rival-Quinn, 39, of Mount Ommaney
You can find more memories of Shingle Inn below the form.
Learn a bit more about what makes Shingle Inn special, and why we’ve been operating for 80 years.
Memories of Shingle Inn…
“It was 1965, back in the days when being married meant wearing a hat and gloves to town, and the Shingle Inn was THE place to go for lunch in the city. So there I was, aged 22, a few days past the due date for my first child, all dressed up for a birthday lunch for my husband’s grandmother, Nora Keane. My mother-in-law, Edna Atkinson, noticed I kept clutching the table and said to me, “Are you in labour?” And I said, “Oh, the doctor said this could go on for ages!” Within half-an-hour she and I were into a taxi on the Edward Street rank outside Shingle Inn and straight over to the Mater Mothers… with me still in the hat and gloves. Nicola Rosemary was born six hours later. I never did find out how the lunch went.” – Sallyanne Atkinson, former Brisbane Lord Mayor, 1985 to 1991
“The Shingle Inn was a place that my mum and I would go to when we were in town together. It was definitely a treat, and always made me feel very grown up to be ‘taking tea’ there with my mum. It held special memories for my mum – a reminder of yesteryear – and I always felt privileged to step back in time with her.” – Melissa Downes, Nine News Presenter/Journalist
“During the mid-eighties, Shingle Inn was the Dally Models hangout! Every time a fashion show was either in the Queen Street Mall, David Jones or Myer, you would always find myself, Mellesa Gorringe, Tracey Douglas, Debbie Carrick, Kylie Robson, Ashley Thompson, Toni Jene Peters, Elizabeth Bowly, Anne Siersen, Renee Chanbellant and Di Cant, sipping the most glorious coffee and eating our standard Chicken and Cheese Toasted Sandwiches… who said models don’t eat? Of course, it was also compulsory that each of us shared a cupcake. Such lovely memories …” – Jodie Bache-McLean, Director of June Dally-Watkins Education & Training at Dallys Model Management
“I often go to Shingle Inn with my youngest daughter Jasmine, usually as a special outing for a treat. When her sister Grace is not at school, she joins us. I can also relax then too because it’s like a nice little escape. We like to tuck ourselves away.” – Kim Tupicoff, 35, of Kenmore
“I used to go in as a customer for many years to Edward Street and my sisters and their children would, and my children. In fact the last time I was there was not long before it closed and there was still a cook there who was there when I worked there! I loved to show the kids the tradition about the place – everything was so beautiful there. It didn’t matter what you had, whether it was a cupcake or a meal – they were always lovely and fresh and I always enjoyed it with a cup of tea.” – Lesley Brown, Former {original} Shingle Inn Team member
“Our family has been coming to Shingle Inn for well over 50 years. My mum used to take me to the city and now I take my daughter and granddaughter to the one at Mount Ommaney. I first started going back in the ‘50s – I was probably only about 2 – and I can remember when we were kids and went to town that it was the big treat to go to Shingle Inn. We’d have a lemonade and a toasted sandwich that was really extravagant! Mum used to get all dressed up with her hat and gloves and handbag and that would be the cream de la crème. It was so special… only once or twice a year. We lived at Inala and we’d go in on the train and make it a big day out. Then I used to take my daughter when we’d go to the city and we lived at Durack. I’d get her the little cupcakes. Now I have my granddaughter on a Thursday and that is the day when I take her in to Shingle Inn Mt Ommaney and she is just about to turn 2. She usually has a babycino and a biccie or little cake and I’ll have a latte and maybe some lemon cheesecake. I think you’ll find a lot of people happy to hear about the restored Shingle Inn opening at City Hall. It’s sad when things like that disappear because it has special meanings to people – for us, when we were kids, we thought that place was very special.” – Liz Morcus, of Forest Lake
“As a little girl I have very fond memories of going into the original Shingle Inn with Nanna and Mum for tea, sitting in the old timber booths, where I’d be treated to a lime ice-cream float and fairy cakes. It was like stepping back into an old time world. My Nanna is not alive anymore but I remember as a grandkid going to the old store and it wasn’t like anywhere else. There were four generations of my family as customers because my Nanna, Mum, me and my sister and her daughter would all go there. Then I would go in there later as an adult because we used to always buy birthday cakes for the office staff where I worked at the Bank of Queensland in the city and I’d get to go and pick them up. They were always warm and they were so fresh and beautiful!” Nowadays I have a Coke Spider at my closest store at Carindale, so I suppose you could say I’ve grown up a little going from lime to Coke!” – Debbie Orr, of Birkdale
“I am 81 and as a child lived in Ascot and my grandmother lived in Highgate hill. In those days – 1945, cars weren’t as prevalent and as widespread available as today. We were in the closing stages of the second World War, many men and women were in the armed Services and away from home. I was born in 1940 and I well recall the 9am air raid warning siren which sounded from Gregory Terrace near the school of that name. I was banned from blowing my whistle because so many were waiting anxiously for word from abroad and were distressed on hearing my whistle to find it wasn’t the mailman with dreaded or welcomed news, but me. So that my Mother and Grand mother could catch up, and also see my sister (younger) and I we met at the Shingle Inn in Edward Street. My mother, sister and I caught the Ascot tram at Oriel Park and my Grandmother caught her tram at Dornoch Terrace. We alighted at Queen and Edward and to the Shingle Inn. When you arrived there was always a discrete queue with brass posts and gold sashes which they opened to allow you to go to your table when the maître de advised a vacancy was available. In those days they had the sugar bowl aligned with the corridor end of your table. When you were served it was swivelled to allow staff to know who had been served. I am told this no longer occurs because of the anti-social covid. And then the fabled butterscotch sauce over the waffle and ice-cream. The staff – all female from memory wore a smart little hat and were most attentive and welcoming. It was like a family experience with the staff. And in due course we departed with us heading for Ascot and my Grandmother for Highgate Hill. Seventy five years later my wife and I always bring visiting friends to the perfectly restored Shingle Inn in the Town Hall – a truly revisit to the past. What a wonderful potential customer attraction it is – pity not still in Edward street, but now well and truly at the City of Brisbane’s heart in perfect shape.” – Eric, of Ascot