Food businesses unite for shared vision

Loganly Grown was launched recently to connect local growers, makers, suppliers and innovators.

The Logan City Stories: Businesses Doing Good session was an interactive event hosted by the city’s newest innovation incubator Homebase, run by Griffith University and supported by Logan City Council.

Participants met potential collaborators and discovered ways to further promote their businesses.

New business owner Sujauddin Karimuddin, from Rua Haung Café in Woodridge, shared his inspirational story with the gathering.

Mr Karimuddin is a former refugee from Burma (now Myanmar) who lived in Malaysia and Thailand, where he helped other refugees, before coming to Australia in 2005.

He learned how to make street food while living South East Asia and now sells some of those dishes in his café.

Mr Karimuddin said the role food can play in nourishing the soul and spirit helped drive the vision for his North Rd café.

He also has plans to develop a place for healing, music and art.

“I want to create a community space next door for open-mic style cultural storytelling and bring different ethnic communities together to develop the soul of the community,” he said.

Mr Karimuddin said his café takings also help support refugees in Malaysia, Bangladesh and Burma.

City of Logan Mayor Darren Power said it was great to see so many business owners passionate about continuing to expand the local food economy.

“Our abundance of opportunities will help us build a system that works together so everyone rises,” Councillor Power said.

Cr Power said Council had set a target to make Logan the multicultural food capital of Queensland within five years.

“We have 217 ethnic communities giving us all right ingredients to attract foodies from across the state and country,” he said.

Council will now explore the suggestions made by participants at last week’s launch event to guide future activities, events and initiatives for Loganly Grown.