The end of 2022 brought with it the very sad news of the closing of beloved Brisbane bakery Bella & Tortie. Suzi Unwin, the bakery’s owner, announced on social media that she was no longer able to operate the business, given the increasing cost of operating.

The news was met with disappointment from many customers, many of whom took to social media to express their sadness at the closure.

“When I saw the crowds on that first week after I announced [the closure], I think my heart just sunk. I was like, ‘Have I made a huge mistake?’” Suzi told The Weekend Edition.

But operating the business full-time in its previous incarnation wasn’t tenable, and Suzi needed time to rest. After spending the holiday period relaxing and reflecting, Suzi once again turned her mind to the idea of Bella & Tortie and began looking for a new location in January.

Now, Bella & Tortie is back for round 2, with a new kitchen in Stafford currently slated to open sometime at the end of May/beginning of June.

But this time, things will be different. There will be no traditional shopfront – the bakery will operate as a ‘dark kitchen’ as Suzi calls it, a kitchen without a shopfront. Customers will be able to order from the online menu for pick-up at the new Stafford location.

“The online shop will come back to life,” Suzi said.

She continued, “Everything that’s available will be bought through that. Whether that’s a whole cake, bags of cookies, jars or chutney and salsa – what is available will only be through that online shop.

“At this stage, the whole cake menu is currently at about 28 flavours. Just cakes you can select and they’re ready to go – that include whole lemon meringue tarts, whole banoffees, cheesecakes, and Russian honey cakes.”