Plans for new Bean Squeeze coffee outlet revealed

Bean Squeeze could add an 11th store to its expanding empire, if plans are approved.

Planning application documents reveal the designs for Bean Squeeze's hoped Bannockburn location.

Geelong drive-through coffee chain Bean Squeeze could be headed to Bannockburn, if plans to develop a new outlet are approved.

Plans to build a $750,000 drive-through bar next to an existing Ampol service station, at 1735 Midland Hwy, have been lodged with the Golden Plains Shire council.

Documents prepared by Context Planning Pty Ltd feature the Bean Squeeze logo, but the company could not be contacted for comment.

Bean Squeeze, established in 2006 as Victoria’s first drive-through coffee shop, has 10 outlets across Geelong including a recently opened Moorabool St store.

Founders Doji Singer and Andrew Pec, both from Torquay, faced backlash from the Highton community when they applied to establish a shop in the suburb in 2018.

Bean Squeeze owners Doji SInger and Andrew Pec at their Grovedale site in 2009.

City of Greater Geelong councillors rejected the application following almost 150 objections, and the business withdrew the plans for a Barrabool Rd establishment before a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) hearing was held.

According to the newly lodged documents, the Bannockburn site would be developed with a new 49.5sq m building and an outdoor seating area.

The development would take advantage of existing access points onto Midland Hwy and Shelford-Bannockburn Rd, “creating an internal link to service the drive-through coffee shop”.

“The bulk of the site (will be) taken up with circulation lanes to provide for vehicle queuing and a significant level of landscaping, which will improve the landscape values of the site and the area,” the documents state.

“The proposed building is low scale and contemporary in design.

“It is designed to be responsive to its setting through the use of subdued materials which include timber cladding with a coating which is designed to weather to a silver grey and black powdercoated aluminium detailing.”

The documents state the 6002sq m site is a “key entry point” to the Bannockburn township.

If approved the store would be open 4am-7pm, seven days a week 365 days a year.

“It is expected that a minimum of five staff are required to operate the venue at any one time,” the documents read.

“A total of four on site car parking spaces are provided, along with a loading bay.”

Originally published as Plans for new Bean Squeeze coffee outlet revealed