It’s mid-morning on a Tuesday and Ann Street in Fortitude Valley is close to a standstill. Trams used to glide ­commuters to work but the tracks here were pulled up in the 1960s, leaving the Queensland capital with five and six-lane boulevards that swell with traffic every rush hour.

Developers Charlie and Arthur Apostolos grew up in Fortitude Valley, a kilometre northeast of the CBD, when it was a hub of light industry. Their father, George, was a Valley business owner and his family’s ­foothold in the area remains. His sons are renowned for enlivening the ­district’s “laneways”: the ­inconspicuous alleys that run off at right angles from main roads. In 2010 they launched Winn Lane, an ­alleyway off Winn Street that is now home to a ­thriving ­community of ­retailers and f&b entrepreneurs. But their latest ­creation, opened last year one block northwest, is even more ambitious.

Visitors walk into Bakery Lane off Ann Street through a narrow entrance and a tranquil courtyard. “We’re on one of the busiest streets in Brisbane,” says Charlie, “but you can’t really hear it.” The development is a sanctuary of 10 small shops and ­restaurants at ground level, with two upper floors of ­incubator suites and loft apartments ­prioritised for tenants. The ground-floor units are ­handsome, with wide windows – framed by brick and recycled timber – that look out onto the courtyard.

“We looked at the laneways and the business ecosystems you might find in Tokyo and Hong Kong,” says Arthur. “We realised you can run a business in a small space.”

The Apostolos brothers are also ­landlords; they own every shop space and can carefully vet the tenant mix. They have chosen to nurture young, ­inexperienced retailers. “They have a great vision for what the lane should be and help you get towards that,” says Julie Morrison, co-owner of Phase 4, a record store and vintage shop that opened in July.

Nick Carter, co-founder of Stock & Supply, a concept store that started as a pop-up and launched its first bricks-and-mortar outlet in the laneway, also ­recognises their approach. “They’re the only guys doing what they’re doing with this kind of retail space; it’s been a massive game changer.”

1. Stock & Supply
   Independent multi-brand shop.
   Shop 4
   stockandsupply.com.au
2. Bow & Arrow
   Womenswear shop with another outpost in Noosa.
   Shop 6
   bowandarrowtrading.com
3. The Botanist
   Independent florist
   Shop 3
   
4. Model Citizen
   Shop for Eeshaal Niranjan’s streetwear label
   Shop 8 
   
5. I Heart Brownies
   A café-cum-shop selling chocolate treats.
   Shop 7
   iheartbrownies.com.au