Inside the best cafes and coffee shops in Coffs Harbour
From Brazil to Sawtell, meet the local legends providing the best cafe experiences in Coffs Harbour. Have you tried them all? See who made the cut.
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Coffs Harbour has plenty of great options for speciality coffee, a healthy breakfast meal or a lunch with a twist.
They have all suffered through a pandemic to come out the other end smiling with hot morning brews ready for their customers.
From speciality home-roasted coffee to fancy meals, here are the kings and queens of the cafe world in Coffs Harbour.
Bluebottles Brasserie Cafe, Woolgoolga
Most popular menu item: Corn fritters
Coffee Beans – Bottero
Owners Dan and Renee Weiss go above and beyond for the community.
They have lived in Woopi for more than 22 years and prior to buying Bluebottles, Mr Weiss used to visit the cafe where he bought milkshakes and forged a bond with the community and the previous owners.
One day he decided to buy it for himself and his family.
Since then they have run a cafe which also provides for the community.
Upon entry into the cafe, a blackboard can be seen displaying a sign, Pay it with a “Post it”.
Customers and regulars are encouraged to pay for community members who may have lost their job, “or just doing it tough”.
“I’m nothing without my guests,” Mr Weiss said.
He commended his customers for “helping us to help the community” and stressed the importance of giving back, particularly during Covid.
“Rent didn’t stop, wages don’t stop,” Mr Weiss said.
“Everyone suffered, yet people still found time to find a couple bucks for those in need. Unbelievable.”
Adjoining the cafe is a retail store, which sells homemade meals from locally-grown produce.
With a team of 26 staff, Bluebottles produce ready-made meals, using local ingredients that can be found within their cafe menu.
Mr Weiss hired more chefs at times when pandemic affected supermarket supplies and found instant success.
Bluebottles went From producing 18-20 meals a day, to up to 60 during the peak of the restrictions.
Hope Road
Most popular menu item: Pao de quijo (Brazilian Cheese bread)
Coffee beans: Drum Row
Upon entry into Hope Road, you’ll be greeted with smiles and a positive atmosphere.
Reggae music, big smiles and a friendly team is what Hope Road owner Matheus “Matta” Ponciano Maricel is all about.
He was poor and only spoke his native tongue when he moved from Brazil to Australia nine years ago.
He undertook almost every job, from labouring and gardening to hired work to build his way up to owning a cafe with a supportive wife and two daughters.
Mr Ponciano Maricel said he was aware there would be challenges when they opened their cafe in November 2020.
“I knew there were risks, but I knew if I followed my heart, doing real things – I was very confident it would work,” he said.
Hope Road is driven by friendly, enthusiastic customer service.
“Brazilian people are very hospitable, I miss that,” he said.
Hope Road is a little slice of himself – the reggae music, the bubbly team and a “family” environment.
Coupled with excellent coffee, Hope Road has everything for a good time.
Mr Ponciano Maricel had a tough life in Brazil but managed to bring some of his South American flare to Coffs Harbour.
“I’m blessed to be here,” he said with a bright smile.
Hub Cafe
Most popular menu item: Coffee
Coffee Beans: Botero Coffee
With more than 15 years of hospitality experience, Jonathon “Jono” Oates is no stranger to running a cafe.
He and his family launched their first family venture, Zest Cafe, in 2009 before packing up and moving to England.
Mr Oates worked there as a barista for a large coffee chain before being promoted to area manager and head barista trainer for England and Wales.
“I have brought experience from the top baristas, training and experience from around the world to create the consistency and quality time after time for our loyal local customers,” Mr Oates said.
Since moving back to Australia, Oates has expanded his empire to Woolgoolga and to the Coffs Harbour CEX International Stadium Hub outlet.
Hard work, talent and determination allowed a dream to become a reality of four sites achieved in four years.
He was chosen last year to operate the Jetty Beach Hub Cafe.
“People believe we’re a franchise, but are surprised to hear that our team consists of myself, my wife and my father Michael, along with our awesome team members,” he said.
“It’s not a big team.”
Old John’s
Most popular menu item: Chimichurri Scrambled Eggs
Coffee Beans: Beam Coffee
Formerly a John Gordon art gallery, Old John’s, or simply “Johnny’s” is run by Emma Barselaar.
Barselaar has owned Johnny’s for three years and owes her successes – particularly during Covid – to the community.
“We were lucky during Covid,” she said.
“We have a strong following and our regulars are like family.”
It’s clear when you enter Johnny’s that customers come just as much for Ms Barselaar and her friendly team as they do for the great menu.
Everything is centred around the community – the coffee beans are locally provided from a friend of Ms Barselaar’s.
She said it was important to recruit the right staff when running a community-driven cafe.
Johnny’s retains the art gallery decor, with charming furniture and art all throughout.
Having grown up in Woolgoolga, Ms Barselaar has amassed a strong reputation in the region and her cafe menu supports her reputation.
“We like to do things with a twist” Barselaar said.
Palate and Ply
Most popular menu item: Secret recipe breakfast wrap
Coffee beans: Palate and Ply
Owners Gary Collard and wife Michelle focus on coffee in their huge space that boasts an in-house roastery.
With an extensive background in running hotels and resorts in South Africa, to more recently owning a resort on Fitzroy islands in Cairns, they are no stranger to delivering a good product.
When ordering a coffee from Palate and Ply, you can choose between five roasts, the most popular being the medium roast, “Roar”, described as a medium-roast people-pleaser.
“Locals get to know what they like,” Mr Collard said.
“They experiment until they find the perfect blend for them.”
He said coffee roasting was as an art and he processed his own product to ensure he was satisfied with the quality.
“It’s like being a chef,” Mr Collard said.
Although many coffee roasters are now highly automated, he opted to have his own flavour on it.
“I prefer being hands on – it’s more personal,” he said.
He has recently started taking orders online for his beans as he hopes to grow the business beyond Coffs Harbour.
Salute Espresso
Most popular menu items: Croissant and coffee
Coffee beans: Stoka
Kirby Burton is no stranger to accolades.
In 2011, she won The Australian National Latte Art Championship.
She has owned Salute Espresso for seven years.
The cafe is placed within a Melbourne-esque sidestrip, with graffiti and modern, elegant interiors.
Ms Burton’s focus is speciality coffee.
A Coffs local, she worked at Gloria Jeans until moving to Melbourne to develop and refine her barista skills.
Fast forward a few years, and she is a coffee roaster and a mother.
Her passion is passed through her staff and the menu, which is filled with fresh and healthy options.
Cafe Aqua
Most popular menu item: Eggs Benedict
Coffee Beans: Merlo Coffee
Having left school at age 16 to work in hospitality, Damien Hill has been around the block.
He and wife Davina have owned Cafe Aqua for more than six years.
Before that, they travelled through Gold Coast, Broome and Uluru and Mr Hill freelanced as a photographer.
He also worked as a pizza chef.
“Hospitality has been in the blood,” Mr Hill said.
Cafe Aqua has Damien’s identity and passions etched into it: on the walls are stunning photographs he took including a famous photo capturing the moment lightning struck Uluru.
Cafe Aqua is a welcoming, airy and laid-back cafe with a menu that boasts all the favourites.
Split
Most popular menu item: Bowl of love
Coffee Beans: Allpress Espresso
Danny Lupinski grew up in Canberra but regularly spent holidays in Sawtell as a child.
For the past 16 years he has lived his dream of a life by the beach.
His cafe’s name Split was inspired by a beach town in Croatia.
Mr Lupinski, a former electrician, runs Split with his brother in law Josip, who used to be a plumber.
Mr Lupinski can be seen on the front lines delivering friendly customer service and great food and coffee.
A customer interjected during the brief interview.
“It’s like family here,” they said.
“Staff cry when they leave.”
Urban Espresso Lounge
Most popular menu item: Zucchini fritters
Coffee beans: Mothersky Coffee Sydney
Located on the bustling Harbour Drive, Urban Espresso Lounge owner Brooke Welch is a picture of hard work and dedication.
Being one of the only cafes in Coffs Harbour that opens at 5am, Ms Welch is aware of what it takes to find success.
She has owned the cafe since moving from Sydney two years ago.
She said she embraced the challenges of running a business and being a mother.
“I love Coffs, and I’m home by 3pm,” she said.
She had to close her store only months after opening with the Covid pandemic hit.
“It’s been tough but we have a good following,” she said.
Welsh said she had honed in on healthy eating by offering all day breakfast and a selection of Asian-inspired salads.
“Coffs is lacking in fresh food,” Ms Welch said.
Twenty46
Most popular menu item: Pork and mango salad
Coffee Beans: Adore Estate Coffee
Mother and daughter duo Melissa and Bree Jupp derived their cafe from where they grew up, Five Dock in Sydney.
The 2046 postcode was trendy area, and having more than four generations of Sydney blood – the duo thought it was time for a change.
The building from which Twenty46 operates was originally a retro milk bar – with high ceilings and a comfortable outside area, suitable for pets.
Building a strong foundation on serving gourmet breakfast and lunch meals, Twenty46 is also located in a great area, just near the famous Jetty.
TreeO
Most popular menu item: Breakfast bruschetta
Coffee Beans: Will and co
Now in its 11th year, TreeO has been through a lot.
Owners Leesa and Duncan Elliot haven’t had it easy, yet TreeO is full of life.
Mr Elliot was almost killed when he was hit by a car while on his bicycle two years ago.
“Luckily I had a good management team in place,” Mr Elliot said.
With loyal staff, many of whom have been around for more than five years, and a consistent menu, TreeO has been able to survive its challenges.
Mr Elliot said he relied on his wife and loyal staff to run the business while he recovered from his accident.
“They kept the ball rolling,” he said.
Mr Duncan was well trained for opening a business have been a chef in busy cities such as Sydney and London.
“In London you do 18-hour days,” he said.
“The long hours prepare you mentally and physically.”
Supply Speciality
Most popular menu item: Spiced pumpkin sourdough pancakes
Coffee beans: Supply coffee
Owners Shane and Cindy McCarthy say there were effectively no cafes open when they moved from Melbourne to Coffs Harbour in 1994. f
Now, Supply Specialty not only serves coffee, but has been recognised globally for its house-made roasts.
Supply is a family oriented business with their son Todd, who has extensive history in roasting, at the helm for coffee roasting, while daughter Emily designed the spacey and modern interior.
Every McCarthy member has a strand of their identity in the cafe.
Coffee is the main focus here – and Todd “cups” every batch to ensure the quality remains high.
Cupping includes putting the freshly roasted and ground beans in a cup with warm water and tasting for quality.
The Un-Hidden Link Cafe
Most popular item in the menu: Chicken Burger
Coffee Beans: Blackwhite espresso
Cafe owner Belinda Reeves thought her time was up after her lease expired five years ago.
But instead of giving up, Ms Reeves began The Un-hidden Link Cafe.
She now runs it as a family business.
Having lived in Coffs Harbour for 34 years, she is no stranger to the locals.
“We’ve survived off good customers,” Ms Reeves said,
“They’re like family.”
The atmosphere within is that of a family: the staff are warm and welcoming and their customers feel at home.
Ms Reeves worked through setbacks to create an inviting and hospitable cafe that serves all the classics.
Beans and Music
Most popular item on the menu: Coffee and a good chat
Coffee and a good chat
Coffee beans: Hill Roasters
Hill Roasters
A unique hybrid between a cafe and a record store, owner Mark O’Connell decided he would combine two of his hobbies.
Having grown up in Coffs Harbour, Mr O’Connell always loved music – he
is a DJ and his passion for music is shown in his store.
He worked in hospitality for 30 years, however was also in the navy, but his passion has always been music and DJing.
Mr O’Connell works seven days a week and his shop is run purely through his commitment and passion for what he does.
Friends and locals pop into his store for a chat, to listen to some old-school music and for a coffee.
“People come for a chat and a laugh,” Mr O’Connell said.
His record collection has grown from 700 to 9000 throughout the store.
It was built through Mr O’Connell’s passion for collecting and from the community.
His focus is on “bootlegs, off-the-wall, complications and unique vinyls”.
Dark Arts Cafe and Bar
Most popular menu item: Breakfast Waffles
Breakfast Waffles
Coffee Beans: Black Magic
Black Magic
Like stumbling into a different world, Dark Arts Cafe and Bar is tucked away behind busy Coffs streets.
Jade Northey bought Dark Arts three years ago.
His goal is for people to forget their worries when they come in.
“I just want people to forget about the outside world, sit back and relax” Mr Northey said.
He said his cafe’s aesthetic was already 70 per cent done when he bought and he just added some finishing touches.
They included wall decor to add to the “gothic setting”.
The entire cafe is littered with inviting furniture and eclectic stylings.
“I just wanted it to be authentic, to change it up and be different,” Mr Northey said.
“It’s not your typical cafe.
“We wanted personality and soul”
Mr Northey spent 10 years in Brisbane before moving back to Coffs Harbour three years ago.
With family links all across the hospitality industry, from Brisbane to a local favourite Element Bar, he said he always had his finger on the Coffs Harbour scene.
He attributed his success to pursuing a career he loved.
“You have to be passionate about what you do,” he said.
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