May 11, 2023

The owners of iconic Trigg coffee spot Yelo are feeling a bit blue. After 14 years, they have finally moved out of their prime West Coast Drive location, leaving behind million-dollar ocean views, a wealth of fond memories and some very sad locals. In an emotional post on the cafe’s Facebook page, the owners acknowledged the impact the departure would have on the community, as well as their own lives. “What an epic place Yelo Trigg has been,” the owners wrote. “It’s really sad for a lot of people who valued this old house that it will be gone soon, us included.” They thanked the community for its support and said they were leaving behind not just wonderful memories but a deep history of community and a sense of place. The cafe is set to be bulldozed later in 2023 to make way for a four-storey block of apartments, each worth upwards of $2.8 million. The house where the cafe was located was the first home built on the Trigg Island Estate in 1948. Camera Icon Yelo owner Michael Pond. Credit: Michael Wilson/The West Australian It has had a number of lives over the years — first as the Trigg Island Store then as Cleggies, Bennion St Cafe and from 2009 Yelo. “When Yelo started, we had no idea what was to come, we just liked the idea of making coffee while watching surf vids and being able to see the point from the balcony was a bonus,” the post read. “Yelo quickly became a meeting place for locals and visitors fresh off the beach or travelling from afar. “Neighbours chatted over coffee, customers became friends and as a community, we all shared the old beach shack as our special place. “We grew up here, we raised kids here, we laughed, cried, got parking tickets, had lines out the door so we could get our favourite spot and just hang out.”