Thirty 4 Café & Restaurant opened its doors in 2020, right in the heart of Queanbeyan. It was founded by Mert Toplu and his wife Buket, alongside their best friend and now manager, Huso Yilmaz a team built on friendship, family, and a shared dream to bring something special to their community.

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After years of experience working as an executive chef in restaurants across Turkey, Sydney and Canberra, Mert wanted to create a space that felt different. Not just another café but something true to Queanbeyan, where locals could feel at home.

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The name Thirty 4 is deeply personal. It's the number of the region in Turkey where Mert grew up. And it’s the age he was when he decided to open the café a moment where passion and purpose came together.

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From day one, our goal was simple: create a space that reflects Queanbeyan’s evolving heart, while staying grounded in the values we believe in family, simplicity, good food, and connection.

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It’s not about being trendy. It’s about doing things properly fresh ingredients, honest hospitality, and treating every customer like a local.

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Our café has become a space for everyone firefighters and tradies, mums with prams, families with dogs, and regulars who order the same thing every time. We’re proud to be part of the daily rhythm of Queanbeyan.

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And in April 2024, we took the next step opening Rakkas, a modern Turkish dining experience on the Kingston Foreshore. It’s a new chapter, bringing the flavours of our heritage to a new part of Canberra, but still built on the same values: family, passion, and community.

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This story is still being written but it will always come back to where it started: a family, a dream, and a town that gave us a chance.