Be it a grab-and-go-style doughnut dispensary or a full-service sit-down cafe, every time a fresh Nodo spot launches, locals go crazy. The launch of Nodo’s new 54-seat location at Everton Plaza was no different. More than 500 doughnuts had flown out the door before our mid-morning visit, with the team scrambling to source extras to cater to the crowd that never seemed to thin.

It’s a good problem to have, to be sure. When we catch up with Nodo founder Kate Williams and CEO Rhys Crowley in a brief, quiet moment, they’re appreciative of the immediate outpouring of support, but aren’t entirely surprised by it. “I think the northside has been calling to us for a long time,” says Rhys, who reveals that the Nodo team considered Everton Plaza for expansion two years ago, but the timing wasn’t quite right. They’re here now though, and people couldn’t be happier. “Chatting to all the locals this morning, they’re all like, ‘Thank you for opening up on the north side’,” says Kate. “It feels so good – we feel like we are welcome.”

Nodo’s newest location can be found next to Everton Plaza’s rear carpark, a hop, skip and a jump from Neighbourhood Market Co. A sleek and slender Cameron and Co.-designed and Echo Projects Co-built space houses a lengthy coffee bar, doughnut counter and small kitchen, with a material palette boasting cream tiles, timber cabinetry and burgundy accents. In addition to a small window perch, an umbrella-shaded alfresco area offers more seating for dine-in custom. “It’s always sophisticated, fun and really inviting and warm,” says Kate, when we ask if there’s a signature Nodo look. “We like them all to be a little bit different. It’d be so boring if we just cut and paste the same thing over and over again.”

That said, Nodo Everton Plaza is closer in scope to its express locations on Elizabeth Street and at West Village than its larger cafes in Newstead, Camp Hill and Hawthorne. It’s more streamlined, blending grab-and-go convenience with cafe-style comfort. “I think that kind of hybridises all of the other locations – we’ve taken best parts of all of them,” says Rhys. “We actually feel like after all of these years, we’ve settled on what we believe is the perfect version of Nodo.”

In addition to the signature doughnuts, Nodo Everton Plaza is offering a selective array of the cafe’s greatest-hit items. “We’ve been listening to our customers over the years and we’ve got so many stats to know what people want when they sit down,” says Kate. “They seem to be just after some simple quick food they can sit down with while enjoying a coffee.” The seasonal menu currently includes organic acai bowls, a stacked sausage-and-egg muffin with red cheddar on a house-baked quinoa bun, smoked-chicken toasties with green-garlic mayo on house sourdough, and soft-boiled eggs Benedict with free-range shaved ham and citrus hollandaise.

On the drinks front, Nodo’s own specialty, house-roasted ‘Wake Up Beautiful’ coffee blend is available alongside matcha lattes, organic spiced chai lattes, iced tea and a range of Nodo’s Supernatural shakes. There’s even a small retail offering for guests to load up on gluten-free loaves and bagel buns, baked blueberry granola, banana bread mix, and brownie cake mix.

Nodo’s Everton Plaza location is now open seven days a week. For operating hours and other important details, check the Stumble Guide.