Gus's, European cafe in Civic, Canberra, Australia

Gus's was a cafe in Civic, Canberra, with both indoor and outdoor dining areas. It became the first outdoor pavement cafe in Canberra. It closed in January 2024, and a new cafe called Gus' Place is planned for the base of the Garema Place Hotel on the original site.

The cafe opened in 1969 and is considered the first outdoor street cafe in Canberra, despite early resistance from local authorities. The founder, an Austrian immigrant, had to push hard before the concept of outdoor dining was accepted in the city.

Gus Petersilka, who arrived from Austria in 1951 and reached Canberra in 1962, clashed publicly with bureaucrats over sitting outdoors, then illegal under the regulations of the time. A plaque in the Bunda Street pavement marks his 1978 Canberran of the Year award and calls him "the scourge of the establishment and a crusader of the people".

Gus's closed on 14 January 2024 ahead of demolition of its building for a hotel. The approved design includes a new cafe called Gus' Place at the original site, but no reopening date is set. A pavement plaque on Bunda Street marks Gus Petersilka's 1978 Canberran of the Year award.

After more than 50 years of continuous service, the cafe closed its doors but is planning to reopen as part of a new hotel development on the same site. This means the place would return in a very different setting while keeping its original location.