Earls Deli opens as part of Nightingale Ballarat in-fill vision

Earls Deli co-owner Josh Wood said there were plenty of nerves about attracting foot traffic in this move - a simply sandwich and coffee spot down what has predominantly been a laneway.

Mr Wood said the team had been humbled by so many people coming to check them out in the one week since they opened the deli's doors at the foot of the new Nightingale apartments in Davey Street.

"Everyone's been so keen to come and try our new cafe," Mr Wood said.

"...A lot of people we're seeing say it feels like Melbourne, like a Little Bourke Street cafe, and we wanted to try and bring a bit of that to Ballarat. It's been awesome and nice that people have been willing to walk down and check us out."

Hygge Property developer Joseph van Dyk, who played a key role in the Nightingale Ballarat project, said the deli proved there was an appetite for the city's expanding foodie destination.

"When we became involved in Nightingale this was a largely disused back street. It's brilliant to see it's been activated," Mr van Dyk said.

"There are lots of incidental interactions, great edible offerings and people are prepared to walk for that outcome.

"...It's a compact, efficient space. People are lingering in the area and there are really diverse demographics. It just shows built it and they will come - people are willing to walk for a great venue in a great location."

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Mr van Dyk's offices are in the Nightingale precinct with Earls Deli and he could hardly help but notice the different people giving the deli a try, from Ballarat Toyota staff to Ballarat Clarendon College mums after drop-off to the nearby junior school and tradies and office workers in the area.

He said this was what had been envisioned by the Nightingale, Breathe Architecture and Hygge Property teams in creating the city in-fill site.

Mr Wood is teaming with Liam Downes, Teddy Powlett, Drew Harry - all proven players on Ballarat's foodie scene - to deliver Earls.

The name is a tilt to the Earl of Sandwich, believed to have invented the sandwich.

Their location is a short walk from Ballarat's popular, expanding foodie scene, which is centred in Armstrong Street and is developing into Mair and Lydiard streets. Mr Wood said they hoped it offered something a little different.

"We're simplifying things," Mr Wood said. "We want people to come in for a good sandwich and coffee, for a bite to eat. A lot of the menu is takeaway but we've found people are also wanting to stay."

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