The Runway Cafe & Store sits at 760 Middle Renwick Rd, Blenheim, in Marlborough, described on its own site as "a cool cafe with a big plane outside." It is locally owned and operated by Lisa Stove and Stephen Badham, and has been running since it was founded in 2019, with Steve Badham as General Manager.
The cafe is open six days a week, Monday to Saturday, closed Sundays. On Friday evenings it also runs a Bar/Food Trucks session from 4:30pm to 8:00pm, alongside its regular daytime cafe hours. Winter brings a slightly reduced schedule, including a café-only Monday with the kitchen closed.
Customer reviews point to a menu built around breakfast and brunch favourites — Eggs Benedict paired with a Mocha, granola, and date scones served with coffee and tea in chinaware cups — along with real fruit ice cream. Reviewers also highlight the indoor-outdoor flow and seating, friendly staff, and plenty of parking on site.
On Middle Renwick Rd between Blenheim and Renwick, The Runway Cafe & Store describes itself simply: "a cool cafe with a big plane outside." It's a fitting introduction to a spot that has become a regular stop for locals and visitors passing through Marlborough since it was founded in 2019 by owners Lisa Stove and Stephen Badham, with Steve Badham running things as General Manager.
Based on what regulars keep coming back for, The Runway has built a strong reputation around its breakfast and brunch offering. Eggs Benedict paired with a Mocha comes up again and again in customer feedback as a way to start the day. Granola gets a mention too, alongside date scones served the old-fashioned way — with coffee and tea poured into chinaware cups rather than disposable takeaway ware. For something cold and sweet, the cafe's real fruit ice cream has also earned its own following.
Part of the appeal, according to those who've visited, is the setting as much as the food. Reviewers point to a great indoor-outdoor flow and seating, giving the cafe flexibility whether you're after a quiet corner inside or a table out in the open. Staff are consistently described as friendly and attentive, whether it's a quick coffee stop or a longer sit-down meal.
While The Runway runs as a standard daytime cafe Monday through Saturday, Friday brings something different: a dedicated Bar/Food Trucks session from 4:30pm to 8:00pm, layered on top of the regular cafe hours earlier in the day. One reviewer mentioned looking forward to trying the "around the world" set-up, hinting at the kind of variety this evening session can bring compared to the daytime menu. It's a shift in pace that turns the cafe into more of an evening destination once the sun starts going down.
The Runway keeps slightly different hours through winter. The standard week runs Monday to Friday from 7:00am to 3:30pm and Saturday from 7:00am to 3:30pm, with Sundays closed. In winter, Monday becomes a café-only day from 7:30am to 2:00pm with the kitchen closed, Tuesday to Friday shift to 7:30am–3:00pm, and Saturday moves to 8:30am–3:00pm — with the Friday evening Bar/Food Trucks session staying in place regardless of season. Public holiday hours can also vary, and the cafe asks visitors to check its Facebook page for the latest before heading out on those days.
With the cafe's own reviewers noting there's plenty of parking on site, The Runway is set up as an easy, low-fuss stop for anyone travelling along Middle Renwick Rd — whether that's a quick coffee and a scone on the way through, a full Eggs Benedict breakfast, or heading back on a Friday evening for the bar and food trucks. For a cafe built around a simple, memorable identity, the big plane outside and the reliable food and service inside seem to be exactly what keeps people coming back.