The Entrepreneurial Coffee Scene

So, I normally just write about places in Melbourne where I’ve been able to find a decent drop of the old Arabian Wine. However, recently here in CaffeineCity we’ve been undertaking preliminary research (i.e. drinking coffee) to assess the viability of a project we’ve dreamt up (so we can drink more coffee).

This got me to thinking about the unending flow of entrepreneurial elements in the cafe/coffee industry. Sure, other industries are replete with entrepreneurial types, some perhaps overflowing with them. But, for a moment, just reflect,  they are all around you, these people, some loud  and some not, but all with ideas, dreams and a singular focus that they hope will bring a little kernel of an idea into a something – a process, a formula, a widget and problem solved – something tangible. They bring you iPhones, algorithims,  software, shoes, cars the list is literally endless.

Perhaps because I am more conscious of it there is something outstanding and something to love about the coffee industry and ‘ideas people’ inside it. Not so much your International Roasts or instant de-caf sachet sellers (I guess they’re entrepreneurs too) but more along the lines of the following:

eCoffeeCard – how many years did you fill your desk draw with paper loyalty cards only to forget them every day when you pop out for a coffee? Then one day a bright spark at Apple dreams up the iPhone and someone in this industry has an ah-ha! moment – voila – an idea is born. See also 365cups.com for another great example off the App variety.

TextSpresso – sure, maybe not about to go to market but it speaks for itself.

What about this chair from ernest.studio? No kidding Melbourne loves a cafe in a broom cupboard and lets be honest, no matter how cool they are milkcrates leave your bum crosshatched like a sudoku puzzle. Then ernest here comes along and bang, problem solved and absolutely zero hipster cred is lost for a space-challenged laneway cafe.

Want more? Go no further than the successful folks at KeepCup. The takeaway cup is as old as Adam’s elbow but no one had thought of combining enviro smarts with barista-standard and cute looking, customisable cups. Now they are a worldwide phenomenon with KeepCup selling over 1 million of these silicone bad boys.

I love hearing about innovations, inventions and ambitious entrepreneurs in the coffee industry so if you have one you reckon should be included in this list. Lemme know below.

Footscray Milking Station, 35 Bunbury Street, Footscray

If you live or work in the Inner West you may have seen or heard about a new ‘trendy’ looking cafe that was being put together in the wide, tree lined intersection of Bunbury Street and Cowper Street in Footscray, a mere stones throw from The Station Hotel, Footscray Community Arts Centre and all the best Pho joints in town is the Footscray Milking Station, which opened just a few days ago.

It is a lovingly restored milk bar/corner store which is pretty much guaranteed to be a smashing success given the increasing gentrification, growing housing density and relative affordability of the area given its proximity the CBD. Not to mention that we in Melbourne will trek to places distant from us just to say we’ve been there! But I digress. The Milking Station is small inside, resplendent in its bare red brick glory and, true to the theme, decorated with vintage milk pales and steel fabricated drop ceiling lampshades. It actually reminded me of The Pint of Milk, in Newport in the way it is laid out. Both are former milk bars…I think I see a pattern.

Milky! (Image pinched off someone else's Instagram)

Now, the coffee. Running the widely loved Padre Blend beans from the folks at Padre (South Melbourne Market, Brunswick East Project and League of Honest Coffee) through a little black Slayer the house offering is an agreeable blend which is an easy drinker with or without milk. With milk it gets a little more chocolatey in finish but left black it hits more earthy or nutty. Anyway, it was good enough for me to have three so um yeh, they’re doing alright! Also on offer are fresh juices, T2 Teas an Jarritos mexican sodas! Ole.

The Milking Station is completed by a fully functional kitchen that dishes up panini, muffins, eggs, mueslis and so on and I’m told the kitchen will become more and more productive once the crew find their feet. There is a neatly stacked pantry/deli to the rear of the space and you’ll be able to get your Padre beans from here as well!. Gluten Free muffins and salads were available for glutards.

This is a massively welcome addition to the face of Footscray and might just tempt a few of you to venture West (you brave things you!) down Footscray or Dynon Road in search of yet more coffee.

I commend the Footscray Milking Station to you, dear reader.

 

Cup of Truth, Campbell Arcade, Flinders Street, CBD

When I was in High School, Degraves Street in Melbourne was the epicentre of coffee cool. It was where all the Carribee slingin’, discman listenin’, ciggie smokin’ hard-as-nails (private) school kids would head, in their truancy, to meet fellow maths-dodgers of the same proclivities for a coffee and to bask in their adolescent glory.

At that time I, being one of the aforementioned hard-as-nails coffee sippers, would scurry past the art installations, beggars, buskers and underground t-shirt stores of Flinders Street Station’s Campbell Arcade all the while wondering why there was not a cafe under there. Well, fast forward two university degrees and two jobs and bugger me if someone has not finally cottoned on to my teenage genius and Degraves Street is a little bit passe.

Seek it.

Cup of Truth has been cranking underground at Flinders Street for a couple of years and despite  there being (or maybe because) no seating to speak of, peak hour coffee here is frenetically busy but warm and friendly. I popped in last week and the scene was like something out of a New York based sitcom (albeit improved by great coffee and a lack of annoying New Yorkers in plaid pants). 20 and 30 somethings shooting the breeze and reading the Friday quiz while smashing down fistfuls of Five Senses and Axil SO.

Despite needing takeaway cup my long mach was unusually good, with a creamy consistency and a sparkly, crackling acid note. Definite heart-starter. Again, I am amazed and enthused by this city’s ability to deposit a solid great cafe at any given location.

Truth.

Hans Grüber, Hawke St, West Melbourne

A show of guns who has the single best cafe name in Melbourne and possibly the known universe?

That’s right Hans Grüber, you do. Alan Rickman’s Die Hard character of the same name -

… who just happens to be one of the most awesome villains in Hollywood cinema history. And I think that this fact is finally confirmed with this little bit of hipster homage in the inner suburbs of Melbourne. And, if i can continue the wordplay this (die) hard to find coffee haunt is a neat little addition to my neck of ze woods.

Located up a cobblestone path between two nondescript brick buildings at 179-181-ish Hawke St, West Melbourne (between Spencer St and the railway yards) you’ll find a single door fronting a design space warehouse with a small table and some leaning space to sip your coffee in quiet contemplation. There’s a big old kitchen beyond the barista and at the moment it (seems to be) cranking muffins and biscuits to complement the Supreme beans on offer. Understandably, given the dearth of foot traffic and the size it’s only open on weekdays from 7-1:30 and weekends 10:30 to 3 or so and I think they’ll do nicely. Oh and I almost forgot, the coffee (espresso style) is legitimately good too. As one would expect from such timing and delivery as the most stylish villain of them all, Herr Hans Gruber.

Check ‘em out here:

Cafe Romulus, 437 Spencer St, West Melbourne

All roads lead to Rome, but only the handbreak-start Dudley Street and Spencer St lead you to Cafe Romulus. Sitting in behind a bus shelter, opposite a discount electrical goods store and passed by approximately 30,000 vehicles per day Romulus is a relative unknown in the Melbourne cafe clique. This shop is a real gem and as more and more people convert warehouses into homes on the edge of the CBD I think Romulus will become more and more popular.

The fit out is highly eclectic and kinda looks like the a late 90′s trendy cafe similar to Feedback Cafe in Yarraville or Scuttlebutt in Williamstown in days of yore. Assorted tables and seats, posters and benches with a sort of lost and found meets Ikea look that I really dig and which feels warm and genuine in comparison to the clean, straight lines that dominate the ‘third wave’ joints around town.

Lovely, smooth and consistent Coffee by Supreme, enormous Muffins for those that indulge, a nice hearty mix of lunches and if you’re feeling really special…yep, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream in its very own mini fridge.

If you work in the north-westish end of city, it is definitely worth the effort to visit Romulus at lunch time and if you don’t work there, well shit, take the day off work! They do breaky too. Grab a pew in the new courtyard and thank me later.

Naked Espresso, 390 Little Bourke St, Melbourne

“I’ve had bedroom naked, I’ve had walk-to-the-bathroom naked… I have never had living-room naked.“

– George Costanza, 1997

And, well, until now unless you’ve risked third degree burns to your most sensitive assets, you’ve probably never had awesome-cafe-naked, either.

When the lovely folks at Elevenses moved away from the Moscow end of Melbourne’s CBD it was a sad day at CaffeineCity HQ. I mean, sure I only had to walk to Kinfolk for a decent cup whenever I was around that way but this is Melbourne, damn it, I need – nay – expect to be within earshot and crawling distance of a decent espresso or single origin pour over at all times. So, as disappointing as that departure was, it has been more than made up for by the revealing of their newest and nude-est venture Naked Espresso Bar on Little Bourke St between Elizabeth and Queen (yes, right near BBB).

It’s a teeny-tiny place but there is room to sit. It’s not really a restaurant but their food is top-notch (try the baked eggs or the Rooben Bagel). And, they’re not really naked but there is a certain stripped-back simplicity that works here. Beans courtesy of Toby’s Estate and others on spec are beautifully prepared (all methods available) and served with sparkling water to refresh ye palate.

The proprietors, Tom and Shanny, went out of their way to make customers feel welcome which counts for a lot – especially with the preponderance of seemingly disinterested cafe staff around Melbourne of late. I tend to agree with Diane at Meld Melbourne who said she felt like she was at a mate’s place rather than a cafe. Although, my mates don’t offer me free coffee when I roll up pantsless on a Monday morning.

There have been occasions where I’ve regretted getting Naked, but this ain’t one of ‘em.

The Tuck Shop, 500 Bourke St, Melbourne

If you ever needed proof that Melbournians can fit a decent cafe absolutely bloody anywhere here is the the smoking gun. The Tuck Shop is located at the bottom of the NAB building at 500 Bourke Street just down the steps from Cafenatics, Earl Canteen and Prime House. The set up fits in nicely to the corporate marble and the preponderance of suits with a fresh timber veneer feel set back against a wee small kitchen and an open plan seating arrangement. It really does have the shape of a school Tuck Shop except at my school the closest you got to a silky long mach was when someone left the Big M’s in the sun. The other thing lacking is my Mum volunteering in the tuck shop to make sure I have a sandwich and not a meat pie.

The Coffee, beans by Sensory Lab, is consistently good without much fuss and the food is generous and fresh. My hot tip is the vegetable and chorizo salad, spicy, starchy, greenie, sausagey business. Get there after 1:20 and you’ll miss it. Step up to the Tuck Shop and enjoy your play lunch.