Young barista Axl Delandro heads classic rock-inspired coffee van Headley Grange inside Floret in Lismore CBD

A tiny coffee shop – arguably the grooviest in Lismore – has been relocated inside a CBD florist after argy bargy with council. Here's how the unusual enterprise came to be.

Axl Delandr behind the counter of Headley Grange. Picture: Supplied

Barista by day, drummer by night – Axl Delandro is the man behind the espresso machine at arguably the grooviest coffee shop in Lismore.

Headley Grange, a retro caravan reminiscent of the 60s, was initially set up outside Floret florist and cafe on Woodlark St in the CBD, before shifting inside.

Mr Delandro’s passion for music inspired the name of his coffee trailer, and the classical rock era aesthetic in the inside.

“Every good cafe has got like a cool like kind of vibe around it,” he said.

“I really love like 60s and 70s rock. So the name Headley Grange is the name of an old recording studio in England, this old castle that was turned into a studio where bands like Led Zeppelin and Fleetwood Mac and The Who and all these guys recorded.

Axl Delandro, owner of Headley Grange. Picture: Supplied

“It's one of those names that if you have no idea what it is it sounds kind of glamorous, and if you do it’s like, ‘that’s awesome’.”

Mr Delandro arrived in Lismore on day one of the floods, February 28, and spent the first few months in town following clean up crews and making free coffees for volunteers.

Then Brett and Sue Cramp of Floret approached Mr Delandro at his van one day and invited him to set up permanently in front of their shop.

“I did that for probably two months and then council came and said I couldn’t really set up anywhere in Lismore out on the street,” he said.

That’s when Brett and Sue solved his problem by putting the van in the shop, where it’s been for nearly six months now.

The interior of the van is covered extensively with Mr Delandro’s favourite vinyls and posters of iconic bands from the golden era of rock.

His regulars have even started to donate band memorabilia they have collected over the years, all with a story of an experience customers had with their favourite bands.

Headley Grange set up outside Floret on Woodlark St, Lismore. Photos supplied.

“Things that people just have sitting in their house that‘s like, you know, a throwback to when they were teenagers,” Axl said.

Mr Delandro grew up in Grenfell, a small town near Orange. In year 12 he saved up about $30,000 to get his business off the ground.

“I kind of saved up a lot of money working at IGA and jobs doing deliveries and you know, helping old ladies take their bins out,” Mr Delandro said.

“I always loved coffee, like the whole scene of cafes and whatever. So I felt like I could get a van kind of thing where I can travel around and work the hours that I want.”

Mr Delandro’s got music in his blood, and takes after his father Guy Delandro, who he said was a musician that toured with Cold Chisel in the 80s, and even opened for INXS.

His dad inspired him to take on a career where he could pursue his passion for music.

Axl Delandro, owner of Headley Grange playing drums with local outfit Off Judy. Photos supplied.

“I kind of wanted to go down a career path that like, I could do that and not have a boss ... gigging on weekends and you know, rehearsing in afternoons and stuff, something that kind of fit in where I can keep working and earn money,” he said.

So being a drummer, Mr Delandro joined local outfit Off Judy – “yes, like Judge Judy” – when he moved to Lismore.

They play gigs along the North Coast and most recently opened for Byron Bay garage rock trio The Skeggs at the Kingscliff Beach Hotel.

You can check out the new single, ‘My Mind’ by Off Judy HERE.