At a bustling cafe in Brisbane’s south-west, anyone having a bad day can walk out with a free coffee or meal. 

Jess and Soffie Cutler have been the proud owners of Sol Natural Foods in Darra for the past eight years.

In recent years, they began noticing their customers were increasingly struggling, both financially and mentally.

“We got a lot of support for our business, but we also felt like we were a pretty big pillar in the community, so we just wanted to provide something that would help support the community that supported us,” Jess said.

The couple decided to introduce a “pay it forward” board in their cafe, which was put together by a regular customer.

The board is pinned with receipts for drinks or meals paid in advance by customers wanting to pay it forward.

Someone in need can claim a receipt.

Jess said the board was not just for those doing it incredibly tough, but for anyone who may be having a bad day.

“It’s not necessarily for people who are struggling financially. They don’t have to be homeless,” she said.

“There’s no criteria. You could just be having a rough day. People come in, and we can tell they’re visibly upset.

“We also have a lot of people who want to give, in some way, back to the community, so it provides that to them, as well as supporting people in the community that need to just have a coffee, something normal to make them feel good for the day.”

Currently, the cafe has about 15 receipts up for coffees, meals and cakes.

Jess said she has always wanted the cafe to feel like an extended family for her staff and customers.

“I think social connection is really important for mental health and just feeling connected and part of something bigger,” she said.

“You don’t realise how much of an impact you make being someone’s barista every day, but we’ve made a lot of friends.

“This, to us, has never just been a cafe.”