Campos Coffee has unveiled its redesigned flagship café in Carlton, Victoria – and it’s unrecognisable.
“Every five years or so we like to renovate each of our stores so we remain current,” Campos Coffee President Will Young says. “This year we were excited to give our Elgin Street store a facelift. We want to open the doors to as many people as possible. The purpose of the store is to be for the many, not for the few.”
Since its official reopening in June, Will says the café door has definitely received a workout as Campos fans and Carlton residents rediscover the flagship store.
Melbourne designer Melissa Chen is responsible for the transformation. Those who knew the previous fit-out will be amazed to see a lighter, more vibrant space with local natural timber and splashes of greenery, a larger seating area, standing bar with free Wi-Fi and mobile charging stations, a view of the roasting facilities, and a wall dedicated to Campos Coffee’s extensive coffee selection.
To complement the interior design, emerging Melbourne artist Chris Edser was commissioned to paint a streetscape mural on the building’s outside wall.
But perhaps the pièce de résistance is the giant cold drip wall, both eye-catching and functional.
“When we were thinking of redesigning our Elgin Street store we really wanted to have a point of difference, especially in design, which is crucial in the Melbourne market,” Will says. “I’ve always wanted to have a wall of really cool-looking equipment, like in Breaking Bad when they show this huge coffee-making contraption. I think there’s a real need to have that kind of wall in the Australian market, so we built our own based around the Breaking Bad model, which I love. Typically, cold drips look pretty average, so we’ve spiced it up a lot.”
Around the store, visitors will notice various “bits and pieces” that help explain what Campos Coffee is doing in the Australian market; cementing its commitment to social projects overseas, and sustainability in coffee relationships. There’s even a collection of artefacts scattered on the shelves, which Will has collected from his many origin trips.
“We’re a superstitious group – I believe these artefacts are talismans that bring good towards us,” Will says.
When it comes to the coffee menu, Campos has you covered. For milk-based drinkers, the signature Superior blend is a must. For black coffees, especially short blacks, try the range of award-winning single origins, such as the Kenyan Tchakakhani. Filter options are also available, including batch brew, chemex, and the Blade Runner blend on the cold drip. And not to forget, Campos Coffee’s renowned iced coffee and affogato.
Peckish customers can satisfy their taste buds with Campos Coffee’s fresh new food menu, which uses only local, ethical, and sustainable-sourced produce.
Campos Coffee started from humble beginnings with a single café back in 2002, and has been true to its belief in “quality coffee cultivated by good” ever since.
“At the time we made a promise to make each cup special to everybody. That’s why our logo is so important to us. If you have a rosetta on your coffee, it means a highly trained professional has taken care of that coffee really well,” Will says.
“We want to be know for being able to do a large number of coffees but also with a high level of care. We sell on average 2 million cups of coffee per week, but we like to say we make one great cup 2 million times.”
