A decade on, Melbourne cafe and concept store CIBI is ready to make some changes. The Collingwood-based hub will first and foremost be moving, shifting further along the street to a warehouse after outgrowing its original building. But that’s not all; CIBI’s new home is in fact a warehouse, a 800 square metre space that is four times the size of the original building. That’s ample room for owners Meg and Zenta Tanaka to play with.

The new CIBI will be divided into a handful of different zones. A design store will sit within, offering visitors the chance to purchase from a curated collection of artisanal Japanese homewares. There will also be an array of kitchen and household goods from Japanese manufacturers, from Sori Yanagi cutlery and steel ware to Hakusan porcelain. CIBI’s own range of Japanese pantry staples will join the store’s line-up, sitting on shelves with Victorian seasonal produce and dairy products, locally-made tofu, sauces, pickles, and condiments made by Meg Tanaka in the CIBI kitchen.

A larger kitchen in the new space means that there will be an even bigger cafe for locals to sit within and nibble on Japanese and Western flavour combinations. Breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea will be available including old favourites such as CIBI’s traditional Japanese breakfast, a combination of grilled salmon fillet, tamagoyaki omelette, seasonal greens, rice and miso soup.

Applying his architectural training, Zenta Tanaka has been involved in the rebuild of the 60-year old former garment factory, which will also house CIBI friends The Plant Society and United Measures picture framers. Japanese concept wabi-sabi has been integrated throughout, which means that original structure where possible has been maintained. Exposed beams, concrete floor and red brick walls accessorise the space, which houses a handful of vintage odds-and-ends curated by the Tanakas.

The new CIBI will open in early October, following final orders in the original venue taking place on September 30. 

CIBI Collingwood Location
31-39 Keele Street, Collingwood, Melbourne
cibi.com.au