The 1995 Darwin to expand with new cafe business Krome at Casuarina
Announcing the opening of a second location, in Darwin’s northern suburbs, this cafe boss says never in his wildest dreams did he believe his coffee would strike such a chord with locals.
Northern Territory
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The owner of one of Darwin’s most popular cafes has announced a second location will open this week, with office workers and residents in the city’s northern suburbs set to be the main beneficiaries.
Reed Alanes, who opened The 1995 in Air Raid Arcade in September 2022, debuted grab ‘n’ go coffee stand Krome on Monday.
The new cafe is located in Casuarina Plaza, which faces KFC on the other side of Trower Rd.
Customers can expect the “same vibe [and the] same good looking people” at Krome as The 1995, but with a new “deli style” grab ‘n’ go range of food, headlined by a range of sandwiches and rolls made using in-house cured meats, like pastrami, Mr Alanes said.
“Our goal is to spread good vibes and good coffee, that’s what drives us,” he said.
The young cafe boss said a second location would not have been possible but for the overwhelming support The 1995 had received since opening.
“We were meant to move down south, and we had this opportunity, so we thought, ‘okay let’s maybe test the water’, not expecting anything,” Mr Alanes said.
“But from the moment we opened it, it was crazy.
“The amount of support we have from the community, locals – I’m still grateful, I will always be grateful.
“It’s exceeded 10 times my expectations.”
Mr Alanes, who arrived in Darwin a decade ago to study at Charles Darwin University, said all thoughts of heading south had now been banished.
“I think I’m partly local now, maybe half of Darwin knows me and I probably know half of Darwin,” he said.
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