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Where is it? Upstairs at 1180 Sandgate Road, Nundah, Brisbane.

Describe Fitz + Potts in a sentence. Like visiting the coolest nanna

you never had.

What goes on there? Apart from lots of drinking and sun-baking on

the astro-turfed balcony, the goal is to find yourself a comfy nook

with an oozing jaffle, while working your way through our daunting

drinks list to a soundtrack of Bowie and Farnham.

How did it all begin? When I moved to Brisbane, I was pretty

disappointed to find the city didn’t really have those great suburban

institutions – your ‘local’. Unfortunately, most of the pubs in the

‘burbs are owned by Coles and Woolies, and capitalism is the enemy

of individuality and soul. So, we decided to set up a quintessentially

Queensland watering hole in Nundah – a suburb quite close to the

city, but with a nice ‘village’ feel.

What were you doing beforehand? My CV resembles a curious

novella about a girl with ADHD. I’ve been a high school manual arts

teacher, an interior stylist, writer, graphic designer, and most

recently I managed a small brewery in Sydney called EKIM.

Describe the space for us. The bar was actually an old

Queenslander farmhouse in another life, but a commercial office

space when we found it. I wanted to reinstate it to its former glory,

so I stripped it back and bathed the space in wallpaper and finds

from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. I love the clash of patterns, colours

and eras that all sit happily together. I’m definitely inspired by the

aesthetic excess of past decades.

Where do all the kitsch bits come from? I’m perpetually locked

in a state of bidding warfare on eBay. I love it! I’ve never had a big

bank balance, so I’ve become an expert on how to find something

unique in a cluttered corner of a church op shop, and to see value

in something left on the side of the road. I’ll die with a garage full of

treasures that, alas, probably wouldn’t cover the cost of my casket.

And what’s the story behind that amazing wallpaper? I have a

pretty huge collection of vintage wallpaper. I’ll buy it if I come across

more than a few rolls in a pattern, even if I don’t have a project for

it. It’s actually become a bit of an irrational obsession. I feel like

I’m accumulating not to use, but to preserve these gaudy patterned

parchments – like the decorating equivalent of a seed bank.

What do you love about what you do? Beer. Wine. Spirits. Apart from

these obvious perks, I think my favourite part is the creativity that’s

integral to every part of running the business. From the marketing

and branding to decorating and designing food and drinks, you need

to constantly think outside the box. It’s more than a little gratifying

when your ideas work, and people like what you’re doing.

Are there any drawbacks? Beer. Wine. Spirits. Hangovers are

a hazard of the occupation. Also, the workload is huge. But hey,

I clearly like being busy, because I’m doing it all over again with

a Fitz + Potts beer hall and wine bar in Murwillumbah (between

the Gold Coast and Byron).

Best contact details? fitzandpotts.com.au

i love my shop

CASSIE POTTS RUNS KITSCH

WATERING HOLE FITZ + POTTS IN

BRISBANE’S INNER-NORTH.

mind your business