‘We really want to make it a nice and quick and sharp process’: New espresso bar opens

An espresso bar offering ­office workers high quality coffee and healthy grab-and-go meals has opened in Palmerston.

AN espresso bar offering ­office workers high quality coffee and healthy grab-and-go meals has opened in the Palmerston CBD.

Asal’s Espresso, located in the Goyder Centre, opened its doors last month.

It is the latest initiative from the team behind the Asal’s network of businesses in Palmerston, which also includes a cafe/dessert bar and a bakery.

Co-owner Justin Drennan said the business was designed for time-poor office workers looking to pick up a quick but quality coffee, breakfast or lunch in their work breaks.

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“Most other cafes here are similar to our larger one, where you order food, sit down and spend more than 30 or 45 minutes in there, whereas this one is the only one where you won’t have to spend more than 10 minutes,” he said.

“We really want to make it a nice and quick and sharp process, as the crowd we are trying to cater to has limited break time.

“It’s designed to be like Gloria Jeans – we’ll have nice, quick, great coffee and of course the grab-and-go options for food.”

Mr Drennan said the ­espresso bar idea had arisen out of customer feedback at the group’s first cafe/dessert bar at the Oasis Shopping Centre.

Co-owners Arash Tayebbi and Justin Drennan share a desert with staff Arbin Gurung and Kabita Gautam. Picture: Che Chorley

“Over the course of our first cafe/dessert bar we’ve developed a large following for our coffee, as in the Palmerston area we are the only ones that use a special blend,” he said.

“And being an ex-office worker myself, I know there’s nothing better than having a cup of coffee, especially when it’s nearby to my office.

“So I thought it’s the perfect opportunity to develop a new concept.” He said if this first espresso bar was a success, the Asal’s team may look to open more elsewhere – including potentially outside of Palmerston. “We have a lot of hard work ahead of us, but we’re getting there slowly,” he said.