INDUSTRY PROFILE
Upside down and back-to-front Toby’s Estate flagship store has reopened with a reversed counter and mirrors over the baristas, offering a unique view of coffee.
E
ntering Toby Estate’s flagship Chippendale store in Sydney, open again after seven months of renovations and lockdown, customers are presented with a sleek, modern space, an enormous sweep of hardwood countertop – and the back of a barista. “We flipped the bar around,” explains Toby’s Estate Chippendale Flagship Store Manager Jack Stapelfeldt. Customers also get an eyeful of an even more unusual perspective, courtesy of the curved mirrors hanging above the coffee machines that reflect a birds’-eye view to those sitting at the bar. “Customers can see exactly how their cup of coffee is made, and understand what baristas do,” says Jack. This choice typifies the ethos of the entire refurbishment, according to Jack: to share and educate customers on the highest-quality specialty coffee and invite them into every stage of coffee making, whether that’s observing the roasting facility behind the café or asking a barista about brewing methods. To accommodate this perspective change, the Chippendale coffee bar is built according to exacting specifications. The bar features a custom three-group espresso machine, four Mahlkönig grinders – two E80s and two EK 43 models – a V60 brew bar, Acaia pearl scales, a four-spout milk juggler, three Fellow Stagg EKG electric kettles set between 88°C and 92°C and a custom jug rinser in the filter bar. Much of this hardware is tucked beneath the bar or integrated directly into the countertop, allowing the equipment to shine. Toby’s Estate collaborated with Dutch manufacturer Kees van der Westen for the refurbishment, supplying the only custom-made Slim Jim in Australia, which Jack describes as a “baby model” between the Spirit and the Mirage espresso machines. “The exact set-up of the bar was so important,” says Jack. “We didn’t want baristas walking back and forth to get the
Mirrors overhead offer close-up views of coffee creations as they are prepared.
things they need. Everything is where they need it, right to hand.” Being so visible to customers can create a bit of extra pressure says Jack, but the baristas are more than up to it. “Baristas always have pressure to make a great coffee for every customer, so it was more about getting used to the set-up. We practiced new workflows to get the routine down before the grand opening,” Jack says. “The layout is going to be unexpected for a lot of people, but it works because you can see the baristas’ focus and skill. You appreciate how hard people work to make a perfect cup every time.” Customers will also be encouraged
to ask questions about the coffee-making process, the specialty coffees used, and the custom machinery. “We want people to feel like it’s absolutely fine to ask anything, because we really want to educate people about the whole process,” Jack says. “It’s very exciting working in a space that is really an exhibition for amazing coffee,” says Charlotte Malaval, Toby’s Estate’s Green Bean Buyer. Charlotte and the Toby’s coffee team curates the rotating reserve menu, featuring some of the world’s best specialty, select and small-lot coffees. Most of the drinks on the menu range between $12 to $24, with top-shelf rarities around $40-plus.
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