Well folks sorry I haven't had much to say recently - too busy opening and running my new cafe!
We're located at 31 South Crescent, Westgarth (all right... most folks cant find Westgarth on the map so try Northcote instead!), Victoria, 3070
We're right on the corner of Mason Street and South Crescent and located in a residential area opposite the train tracks on the Hurstbridge Train line - exactly half way in between Westgarth and Dennis Train Stations - or less than five minutes from the city by train so there's no excuses for not coming!
To cut a long story short we've been going gang busters - a few technical hitches and some staff training issues not withstanding!
Had a write up in The Age newspaper on Tuesday and business (which was busy to start off with) is up 30 per cent since then - with today (well... its yesterday already) being absolutely packed to the rafters!
Between 10.30 and 11.30am this (yesterday already!) morning 60pax (plus takeaways) walked through the door and we were slammed - so apologies to anyone who came and waited 20 minutes for their coffee - but it was the only time that folks waited so long all day!
I'll endeavour to get some pics up of the joint, and to draw your attention to the great publicity that we've had already - but I'm not making any promises just yet as to when - as most of the time I'm working my a*** off!
My wife says that she is officially a 'cafe widow' meaning that she hardly sees me any more... and the other day I heard one of my kids saying: "Mummy... who is that strange man sleeping in your bed?"
I hope for all our sakes that she was talking about me!
We went through 7kg of coffee yesterday - which is definitely a record, and we would have done more had we greater seating capacity
Speaking of which new banquette seating is on the way, which should dramatically increase the seating capacity, and we have front and rear courtyards to accommodate the 'rug rats' (children in Aussie parlance)
Free wireless internet is also up and running, and boy, oh boy - am I looking foprward to the evaporative cooling ducted aircon going in on Tuesday!
I've got a fab team of staff - in the kitchen and front of house - I feel truely blessed! ANd for some reason that includes a bunch of kiwis!
Not surprising really considering that I am an expat myself - and giving the average New Zealander's (well... I speak for Wellington really, not that other unspeakable city!) coffee credentials!
We're running with a custome build BFC Synchro - designed in Melbourne and built in Italy! The machine features masive oversised 600ml heat exchangers in the boiler dedicated to each group head, and 2ml flow restrictors at each heat exchanger - which slows the flow rate to the group head down to a trickle - producing amazing extended extractions: thin 30mls from 50secs with a 20sec pre-infusion and you are in the ballpark!
ANyway - the place is jumping, and I'm eating into my nap time (no NOT while I'm working! I tend to doo all my admin b/w one and three in the morning!) - so it's laters from me!
Will keep you postered!
CHeers, Askthecoffeeguy
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
foxy brown opening date sunday 27th september!
its true its true still lots to do but never fear the opening day is near and soon upon us when the cry for quality espresso wont be the last gasp it will abound and resound around westgarth!!!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Ridiculously long shots...
Being pulling ridiculously long shots on my BFC - I mean 50sec double pours into a single cup - its ridiculous!
But whether its the oversized heat exchangers, or the flow restrictors, or a combination of both - I dunno!
But the coffee seems to hold ist consistency without blonding - and without burning - and that can only be a good thing!
We're wielding 20gm baskets for the single handle, and some of the espressos I've been pulling are out of this world!
Looking forward top being open proper and blowing people away with the coffee quality. I don't want to blow my own trumpet but I think its fair to say that there aren't too many operators in my neck of the woods at least not within walking distance anyway of the cafe - who have the same coffee obsessive focus - whether this translates to additional sales or repeat patronage is yet to be determined
But I'm quietly confident that an espresso based revolution is underway and happening South-side!
Stay tuned for further progress!
But whether its the oversized heat exchangers, or the flow restrictors, or a combination of both - I dunno!
But the coffee seems to hold ist consistency without blonding - and without burning - and that can only be a good thing!
We're wielding 20gm baskets for the single handle, and some of the espressos I've been pulling are out of this world!
Looking forward top being open proper and blowing people away with the coffee quality. I don't want to blow my own trumpet but I think its fair to say that there aren't too many operators in my neck of the woods at least not within walking distance anyway of the cafe - who have the same coffee obsessive focus - whether this translates to additional sales or repeat patronage is yet to be determined
But I'm quietly confident that an espresso based revolution is underway and happening South-side!
Stay tuned for further progress!
coffee consequences
Well... we get there eventually! cafe's still not open but we're making some werious progree now - floor is done and heavy duty equipment is on the way including three door under-bar fridge, purpose built coolroom, and new six burner gas oven!
I'm also replacing my display fridge for one which is more functional: same specs but better shape and design to let more light into the space
We pulled apart the coffee machine today to have a good look at the steam production - as I have not been that impressed with how its been functioning
Noticed a longer than usual copper pipe feeding from the back and lower than expected of the boiler so we dropped water volume and boiler pressure to compensate
Also installed a nifty lever switch for steam production both for ease of use and to restrict flow - which seemed to do the trick nicely
Combine this with some dead sexy bell-bottomed milk jugs from Bombara Water Supplies and we're cooking with gas!
Now I believe that we have all the coffee elements working in harmony: great coffee blend and some amazing single origin coffees combined with a lot more versatility in the milk production = one happy camper!
Had about a dozen folks wander in off the street today asking for coffee which had me chuffed! I obliged of course to a chorus of ohhs and ahhs - you gotta be happy about that!
Gunna get the cash register installed pronto so we can start charging these folks for coffee I mean I don't mind giving it away but you gotta draw the line somewhere
Really happy with the coffee production overall - we've pulled well iin exccess of 500 shots through the machine prior to opening, which makes me feel a lot more confident about the product that we serve
Now t nail the milk and to shore up supply of the biodynamic product that we will be using, and I'll be a happy camper
Opening date T-minus three weeks and counting...
Laters, P
I'm also replacing my display fridge for one which is more functional: same specs but better shape and design to let more light into the space
We pulled apart the coffee machine today to have a good look at the steam production - as I have not been that impressed with how its been functioning
Noticed a longer than usual copper pipe feeding from the back and lower than expected of the boiler so we dropped water volume and boiler pressure to compensate
Also installed a nifty lever switch for steam production both for ease of use and to restrict flow - which seemed to do the trick nicely
Combine this with some dead sexy bell-bottomed milk jugs from Bombara Water Supplies and we're cooking with gas!
Now I believe that we have all the coffee elements working in harmony: great coffee blend and some amazing single origin coffees combined with a lot more versatility in the milk production = one happy camper!
Had about a dozen folks wander in off the street today asking for coffee which had me chuffed! I obliged of course to a chorus of ohhs and ahhs - you gotta be happy about that!
Gunna get the cash register installed pronto so we can start charging these folks for coffee I mean I don't mind giving it away but you gotta draw the line somewhere
Really happy with the coffee production overall - we've pulled well iin exccess of 500 shots through the machine prior to opening, which makes me feel a lot more confident about the product that we serve
Now t nail the milk and to shore up supply of the biodynamic product that we will be using, and I'll be a happy camper
Opening date T-minus three weeks and counting...
Laters, P
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
some photos of my new coffee set up in my new cafe!
some cell phone shots of my new cafe: Foxy Brown Espresso taken today with my new cabinets in place and my whizz bang bfc synchro coffee machine which was installed yesterday!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
some cool images of the cafe!
Following photos are of: new coffee counters in Foxy, followed by the original and still working neon ice cream sign above the store, recent shot of my old cafe - Shanti Bhagwan, and me... looking like a dork!
Foxy Brown Espresso - the best damn brown in town!
Well... it's been a while since a blogged last and probably for good reason! I've been building my new cafe (that's cafe number three for me folks - you can't say that I haven't been around the block a few times! from the ground up!
Actually, that's not quite true - we inherited an 'empty shell' of a space - albeit a beautiful and functional empty shell of a space - a long and narrow room with front and rear courtyard and sidewalk trading - off the beaten track so to speak - as the cafe used to be a milk bar (read corner store or 'dairy' for you naughty New Zealand readers!) - so fortunately we have sidewalk trading as well with approved seating for 25 pax outside and another 30 inside - which is pretty ideal really when you think about it!
There are no other cafes in the immediate vicinity (ok so there are a few only a couple pf 100m away but who's counting!) and the new joint is located opposite the train tracks and half way between a couple of bustling train stations!
I haven't measured the distance exactly but I would say that we're probably no more than 5km from the CBD which is pretty bloody amazing when you think of it!
Its been a big job bumping in from scratch as we've had to put in plumbing and electrical as well, with all cabinets purpose built and the rear courtyard landscaped from scratch, but my new coffee machine - a purpose built BFC Synchro imported specially from Italty and customised to my own specifications - is arriving tomorrow!
Very, very exciting!
Hopefully I'll get some images up in the next day or so to make it a bit more interesting for ya'll!
Cheers,
ACg
Actually, that's not quite true - we inherited an 'empty shell' of a space - albeit a beautiful and functional empty shell of a space - a long and narrow room with front and rear courtyard and sidewalk trading - off the beaten track so to speak - as the cafe used to be a milk bar (read corner store or 'dairy' for you naughty New Zealand readers!) - so fortunately we have sidewalk trading as well with approved seating for 25 pax outside and another 30 inside - which is pretty ideal really when you think about it!
There are no other cafes in the immediate vicinity (ok so there are a few only a couple pf 100m away but who's counting!) and the new joint is located opposite the train tracks and half way between a couple of bustling train stations!
I haven't measured the distance exactly but I would say that we're probably no more than 5km from the CBD which is pretty bloody amazing when you think of it!
Its been a big job bumping in from scratch as we've had to put in plumbing and electrical as well, with all cabinets purpose built and the rear courtyard landscaped from scratch, but my new coffee machine - a purpose built BFC Synchro imported specially from Italty and customised to my own specifications - is arriving tomorrow!
Very, very exciting!
Hopefully I'll get some images up in the next day or so to make it a bit more interesting for ya'll!
Cheers,
ACg
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)