Small Change Espresso owners Ben and Kimberly Conicella are bringing some famous names to Nambour.

Bill Chambers (yes, that’s Kasey’s dad and he’s amazing!) will play at their hip industrial-style venue on September 30.

Ben, 39, who moonlights as a musician, plays bass guitar in Chambers’ band.

Picture: Small Change Espresso at Nambour is a thriving cafe and bar, which also doubles as a live music venue.

Stranded on the Coast

Originally from Newcastle, the Conicellas were travelling around Australia in their caravan, which also served coffee for extra money on the road, when Covid-19 put their travel plans on hold.

Just like in a scene from Stan’s, “From”, where a travelling family finds themselves stuck in a creepy small town, they were forced to park their van for longer than planned.

But unlike the streaming platform’s thriller, this family could come and go as they please.

And thankfully they decided to stay!

Making lemonade out of lemons

The Conicellas settled in Palmwoods, and while venues around them were closing due to economic struggles during the 2020 pandemic, Small Change Espresso was only just hatching.

It wasn’t a smooth opening, however, when the building they’d just opened in quickly sold.

Forced to rebuild their cafe, they moved from its original home at Bury Street to around the corner on Currie Street.

“While a lot of hospitality businesses were closing due to Covid we decided to open one; a successful one at that,” Ben says.

“Fast forward and we’ve built two cafes now, and the latest one fulfils a dream of mine to be a music venue also.

“Newcastle and Nambour are a very similar in many ways, one being an ex-industry town, so it felt like home.

Small Change Espresso owner Ben Conicella proudly wears an Andrea Kirwin Nambour T-Shirt.

“Being a professional musician myself the venue component of the space is dear to my heart so we settled here on the Coast and went about making a life for us.”

And a life they created, bringing a new bub into the world making the Conicellas now a family of four.

They also became proud owners of a pioneering music venue, in what is a historical moment for Nambour as it continues to gain momentum as the Coast’s live music capital.

Ben has been playing music since he was 15.

He plays with the country godfather at the Gympie Muster, and makes music whenever he can be pulled away from baristas and budgets.

The future of Small Change

Ben hopes his business, which has been in its new space since June and is still finalising renovations, will “provide a space for creatives to show their creativity”

And also, “provide the best coffee on the Coast”.

“I’m a people-person and I love to be hands-on within the creative space whether it be as a venue or on stage.

But also host the hottest acts in town.

Chambers, pictured, is an award-winning, multi-instrumentalist country musician from the Central Coast of New South Wales (NSW).

His best known song, “I Don’t Drink”, is a classic Aussie country song with its pedestrian-style narrative, laid-back blues and quintessential story-telling, with Chamber’s distinct gravelly voice.

He brings with him, Dingo, a respected lead guitarist who also plays in his daughter Kasey Chambers‘ band.

Catch Bill Chambers, Dingo, and Ben, with the full band at 7.30pm. Bar and kitchen open from 5pm.

Small Change Espresso is at 124 Currie St, Nambour. Tickets: hello@smallchangeespresso.com.au.