Ricca Coffee in Thebarton, a stalwart of Adelaide’s café scene, is celebrating its 50-year anniversary in 2025.
In the 1970s, the roastery and café originally catered to the growing Italian and Greek migrant communities as well as neighbouring families and small businesses in Adelaide’s inner-western suburbs.
It changed hands in 2024 when current Owner Ben Hodge bought the business. He says Australian café culture may have evolved in the past half-century, but the foundations on which Ricca was built still apply today.
“In 1975 the café scene wasn’t about latte art or cold brew, it was about community, tradition, and espresso. There were no takeaway cups, just proper porcelain; there was cash in the till, and loyalty was built on a handshake and respect,” says Ben.
“I’ve always believed in the magic that happens over a cup of coffee, where the aroma, the atmosphere and the ritual come together to create something truly special.”
Ricca says it is Adelaide’s original roastery door experience and continues to pursue its love of rich, Italian-style coffee and community.
Nowadays, it has transformed with the evolving café culture to offer a variety of alternative milks, reusable cups, and brews, but Ben says the café’s ethos has remained the same.
“The customers were the heart and soul of Thebarton,” he says. “They came in for the beans but stayed for the conversation and connection.
“[Now] we use carefully sourced beans to create unique, full-bodied flavours that resonate with coffee lovers who appreciate quality and authenticity.”
With Australia’s – and Adelaide’s – approach to coffee shifting significantly over the 50 years Ricca has been in operation, it remains to be seen what the next great frontier of coffee will be. Ben says he sees huge potential value in progressing Australia’s coffee-growing capabilities.
“One of the ironies of our coffee culture is that we have some of the world’s best baristas, roasters, and café-goers, but so little of our coffee is homegrown,” he says.
“I’d love to see more awareness, funding, and infrastructure go into supporting the small but passionate community of Australian coffee growers, particularly in northern-New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia.
“With the right conditions and backing, Australian-grown coffee could thrive as a unique, boutique offering.”
