Coffee spot Milk Crate opens at Courtyard by Milk Crate cafe in Civic West

It started off as a hole-in-the-wall coffee joint in Civic West, popular with local workers.

Now Milk Crate has outgrown its original spot and moved a larger venue a few short steps away across the courtyard, fittingly called Courtyard by Milk Crate.

Owner Hakan Demir said the original spot was getting too busy, and jumped at the opportunity when a larger spot opened up nearby.

Courtyard takes over the space that was previously Remi Cafe, and has been given a light, brighter "tropical Hamptons feel" with white, green and timber fittings and lots of plants. There's plenty of seating, a full kitchen and also a large outdoor seating area with heaters and blankets to get through the winter.

The menu is a mix of cuisines, with a bit of a Turkish influence, a nod to Demir's background. Breakfast and lunch are available Monday to Friday, and dinner and drinks are on Fridays from 5.30pm until late, with some talented cocktail bartenders on board. The cafe is closed on weekends.

Demir originally moved to Canberra from Sydney after marrying a Canberran, and opened Milk Crate almost 18 months ago.

As for the former hole-in-the-wall Milk Crate venue, Demir has held onto it and is going to revamp it, initially as a vegan bakery called Vegan House, expected to open in July.

"One of my staff is a vegan fanatic so I'm gonna get him to make vegan pies, treats, whatever you can think of. It's gonna be different – I didn't want to do something that was gonna compete with this shop. And in Canberra there's a lot of vegans," he said.

"In my mind [the venue] was gonna be a seasonal pop-up shop so every season I change it. Maybe for summer I'll do a smoothie juice bar, with shakes and stuff like that. Through winter I might do a soup station. So I thought I'd give the vegan a go first."

Courtyard by Milk Crate is at 14 Moore Street, Canberra