Fortitude Valley cafe LostBoys offers free food for touring musicians
They say there's no such thing as a free lunch ... that's no longer true if you're a touring band visiting Brisbane.
A Fortitude Valley cafe will offer visiting musicians free meals to give them a helping hand.
LostBoys owner Pixie Weyand hopes the small gesture encourages them to ditch fast food for a healthier alternative.
"I've got a lot of family and friends who are in the music industry and I've seen first-hand how much of a struggle it can be financially," she said.
"A lot of people think that touring is a ridiculously glamorous thing. A lot of them sleep in cars or vans, or go days without sleep. It isn't all it's cracked up to be at times.
"That's not to say that's what it's like for everyone, but at the level I'm going to be approaching and that are most likely going to make use of this, this sort of luxury is not something I believe that they would get on a regular basis."
While Ms Weyand said there was an element of trust associated with the initiative, staff would also be checking to ensure they weren't being scammed.
"I could be really delusional, but I feel that people are genuinely good most of the time," Ms Weyand said.
"It's going to be pretty obvious if you're a band on tour, it's not going to be hard for us to check your Facebook page and make sure."
Those eligible will get to pick their meal of choice from the menu along with tea, coffee or juice. For the record, the cafe is licensed, but alcohol won't be free.
Of all the artists who visit Brisbane, Ms Weyand said singer-songwriter Paul Kelly was at the top of her list.
The vegetarian cafe, which has been operating for about seven months in Fortitude Valley's Bakery Lane, touts itself as carbon neutral and organic-friendly.
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Source: Brisbane Times, Kristian Silva, 9th August 2015
Originally published as: Fortitude Valley cafe LostBoys offers free food for touring musicians
