Brisbane coffee king makes his hospitality comeback

Phillip Di Bella may have sold his coffee empire for an eye-watering $47 million a few years ago, but now he’s back with a new venture. We checked it out.

After selling his eponymous coffee empire in 2014 to Retail Food Group in a deal worth an eye-watering $47m, Brisbane caffeine king Phillip Di Bella has returned with a new bean dream.

In March this year the entrepreneur launched The Coffee Commune in inner-city Bowen Hills – a purpose-built facility for the entire coffee industry, tackling everything from sourcing coffee, creating blends and consultancy, to contract roasting, educational courses and business development.

Even the public can get involved with free factory tours, paid sessions where you can create your own bean blend and a dark, industrial-look on-site cafe, Chapter Eleven Kitchen.

The latter is pumping on a Monday morning with businessmen talking shop in a row of booths and a group of coffee enthusiasts enjoying a guided tour.

The Coffee Commune at Bowen Hills. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

We snag one of the last remaining tables (unfortunately a rocky one) in between the gelato counter and the small retail range of beans, cups and coffee making apparatus, and navigate the all-day brunch and lunch menu.

Chef Kane Cooper is a stickler for supporting local farmers and artisan producers according to the engaging and highly knowledgeable Kate, who staffs the counter where customers order.

Only using the best and freshest ingredients, his menu is equal parts familiar and out-of-the-box, taking classics like waffles and dialling them up a notch with add-ons such as a milk chocolate and wattle seed ganache, caramelised white chocolate and espresso gelato. Even bagels go from ordinary to extra when loaded with the likes of sticky pork belly, a fried egg, haloumi, rocket and a cold brew barbecue sauce.

A favourite that has customers returning time and time again, Kate says, is the chilli prawn scramble ($23) using (on this day) Straddie-caught prawns that have been poached in lemongrass. If the intensely bitter, exceedingly dark roasted coffee doesn’t wake you up, the house-made chilli sambal in the softly set eggs and rings of sriracha on the plate sure will. Add a squirt of charred lime to this Asian-inspired dish topped with a chilli-laden bean sprout and red cabbage salad and it's a truly delicious way to spice up your day.

Alternatively, look to the cafe’s winning take on a classic Reuben sandwich ($16).

Starring corned beef, ham, liberally dressed slaw, Swiss cheese and pickles on buttered and toasted sourdough from Teneriffe’s Danny’s Bread, this is the type of sanga that requires two hands, will smear mayo all over your face and have you reaching for a napkin and loving every second of it.

For an extra treat, order the crisp waffle fries on the side ($4).

The Reuben sandwich at The Coffee Commune's Chapter Eleven Kitchen.

Although this place may be centred around coffee, it’s the rum and raisin milkshake made with gelato from Brisbane-based, family-run business Delizia that steals the show from the drink offering, which also includes smoothies, T Bar teas and HRVST cold-pressed juices.

Chapter Eleven Kitchen may be at the centre of a coffee emporium, but it’s the food and service that will have you racing back.

CHAPTER ELEVEN KITCHEN AT THE COFFEE COMMUNE

82 Abbotsford Rd, Bowen Hills

coffeecommune.com.au/cafe/
Open Mon-Fri 6am-3pm, Sat 7am-1pm

VERDICT - Scores out of 5

Food 4

Ambience 3

Service 4.5

Value 4

Overall 4