A café and a contradiction in terms, Trouble and Strife is the cosy eatery of choice for Goodwood locals.

Owning your own business can be taxing, especially in the hospitality industry, but when Clare Lennon was planning what would eventually become Trouble and Strife, she knew balance was key.

“Trouble and Strife is designed around my life,” she says.

“The fact I live like two minutes down the road that way, my son is across the road, and I can be home by three thirty every day and work full time was important… so that I have a work/life balance.”

Having worked at Red Door Bakery, Press* and The Pot previously, there’s obviously a food and beverage pedigree Clare likes to maintain, and one she thought her home suburb of Goodwood would embrace.

“Really good coffee [and] really good service was really important to us. We know our regulars, we know their names, we know what coffee they have, we know their kids, and so that was really important,” Clare says.

“We’re really affordable, that’s a really important part of what we do. We want people to be able to afford to come here five days a week.

“You can come and you can get smashed avocado with peas, feta, lemon, olive oil, and it’s nine dollars.”

The instantaneous aroma of Dawn Patrol coffee customers are greeted with, and the gallery of appetising meals sat at each table suggest quality produce is also a priority, most of which Clare sources from the area.

“All our suppliers are on this street mainly… the fruit and veg is from Manny the grocer on the street, all the meat’s bought from Goodwood Quality Meats, so where possible we try to use people as close as possible.”

Although Trouble and Strife is small, there’s a level of comfort to a hole-in-the-wall venue that can’t be matched, and that’s exactly what Clare and her staff aim for.

“I want [people] to feel at home,” she says.

“Somewhere that they can come, it’s comfortable, and they feel welcome.”