A new Australian-inspired all day café is taking shape in Marlton, and the husband-and-wife team behind it is bringing some serious New York hospitality experience to South Jersey.
The Rocks, a new café concept from hospitality entrepreneurs Anders and Amanda Cairns, is currently under construction at Towne Place at 501 Route 73 South in Marlton/Evesham Township. Fidelity Investments formerly occupied the space, and it is being transformed from a blank slate into a sophisticated yet approachable all-day café.
South Jersey Food Scene met with Anders and Amanda at the future café today to tour the space and learn more about it.
The Rocks is designed to blend the relaxed spirit of the Australian coast with the creative energy of New York City and the welcoming, community-oriented feel of South Jersey.
Anders brings considerable café and hospitality experience to the project, having previously worked with Blank Street Coffee and Australian-inspired café brand Bluestone Lane in New York City. Amanda also brings a hospitality-centric background from her time at workplace solutions company WeWork.
Together, they are creating something that they hope will feel equally appropriate for someone grabbing a quick coffee on the way to work, settling in with a laptop during the day, or meeting with friends and family over a bite to eat.
Hospitality at the Core
Hospitality isn’t just a buzzword at The Rocks; it’s at the heart of the entire operation. It’s being built into everything, from full service in the dining room to the brief interaction of grabbing a coffee to go. Anders and Amanda are taking the customer experience seriously from the start, emphasizing making every visit feel welcoming and personal.
Convenience will also be a major part of the experience. Customers will be able to download an app, place their orders ahead of time and quickly pick them up when they arrive.
On the flip side, The Rocks is being designed for those who want to work, study or simply linger for a while. The café will offer complimentary Wi-Fi, comfortable soft seating and conveniently placed outlets throughout the space. But Anders and Amanda want the experience to go beyond simply providing a comfortable place to open a laptop or enjoy a cup of coffee.
“We really want our passion for hospitality and full service to carry through the entire operation,” The Cairns told South Jersey Food Scene. “Beyond the dining room, we see those 30-second interactions when someone is grabbing a coffee to go as an opportunity to make a genuine connection, get to know our regulars and build real relationships within the community.”
Australian-Inspired, Artisan and Chef-Driven Menu
The menu at The Rocks will be an important part of the Australian café experience, going well beyond coffee with an innovative, chef-driven food program that transitions naturally from breakfast into lunch and throughout the day.
Anders and Amanda also plan to work with local farms, bakeries, artisans and butchers whenever possible, with an emphasis on transparency and sourcing organic and sustainable ingredients. The idea is to create food that is thoughtful and satisfying while supporting a healthy lifestyle.
The beverage program will be equally considered. The Rocks will roast its own house blend for espresso and drip coffee, along with offering rotating single-origin and decaf beans. Specialty coffee and matcha drinks will round out the café side of the menu, along with a couple of signature smoothies.
Australian café culture draws inspiration from cuisines around the world, particularly Asia, Europe and the Middle East, and that diversity will be reflected in The Rocks’ take on familiar breakfast and lunch dishes.
For breakfast, expect dishes such as chili and feta scrambled eggs, Bircher muesli, seasonal hotcakes and a substantial Big Breakfast featuring halloumi and house-made hash browns.
As the day moves into lunch, the menu will shift toward heartier fare, including a sausage roll, steak frites, miso salmon bowl, falafel wrap and The Rocks Bistro Burger.
The result is intended to be more than a traditional coffee shop menu, combining the casual, all-day nature of an Australian café with the kind of thoughtful food program typically associated with a full-service restaurant.
Inside The Rocks
Right now, the former office space still requires a significant transformation, but Anders and Amanda have a clear vision for what it will become.
The Rocks will feature an open-plan interior anchored by its coffee bar which will be finished in a hand made tile Amanda sourced from a tiny tile studio in Spain positioned to the left as guests enter and the main dining room to the right.
Every detail, material and finish has been selected to elevate the daily ritual of getting your coffee or for your lunch meeting. Stone, wood and concrete also highlight the connection to nature and permanence which reflects the intention to build something that lasts for our family and community here.
There will be approximately 50 indoor seats, including a lounge area designed for more casual visits. The main dining room will offer full table service, with tables, chairs, and two booths beneath a 20-foot-high ceiling. Outdoor tables will be available in the warmer weather months.
The overall goal is a comfortable neighborhood café where customers can spend as little or as much time as they want.
Your New Favorite Marlton Cafe Coming Soon
The Cairns hope their dream café will become a place the Marlton community can embrace as its own. They’re building The Rocks with the long term in mind, investing considerable time, energy and resources into creating a place people will want to return to again and again.
That commitment extends beyond the interior, too. They plan to renovate and update the building’s façade, putting their own stamp on the property and transforming it into a space that truly feels like The Rocks.
Oh, and there is plenty happening behind the scenes for the Cairns family beyond opening the café, too.
The couple is expecting their second child, due shortly before their anticipated opening. Despite simultaneously preparing for a new baby and transforming an empty commercial space into a café, the couple is working toward an ambitious timeline.
Their goal is to have The Rocks open in November, before Thanksgiving.
If everything falls into place, Marlton will soon have a new all-day destination for coffee, food, working, meeting, and lingering—and a little taste of Australian café culture along Route 73.
Stay tuned here or follow The Rocks on Instagram for updates.
SJFS is dedicated to food, dining, restaurants, and drinking in South Jersey. Got a news tip? Email southjerseyfoodscene@gmail.com.