Eights years on from launching his drive-thru concept, Rise & Grind Founder Tony Asmar reveals the wins and challenges of the setup and how elevating his coffee offering with The Bean Cartel has been a game-changer for the business.
When Tony Asmar established his first drive-thru coffee shop in Mitcham, Victoria, in 2017, the concept was pretty unique in Australia. Yes, commuters, tradies, and busy parents could pick up a coffee without leaving their car from a string of fast-food outlets, but there were few independent venues offering a quality cup in a drive-thru format.
“I was actually an engineer at the time, but my brother in-law had had success with a similar concept and encouraged me to take the plunge,” says Tony.
“I did a lot of research and watched a lot of American business shows like Shark Tank and Undercover Boss to study how other entrepreneurs have made drive-thru businesses successful.”
The United States (US) often sets global trends when it comes to innovation, and Tony could see the popularity of drive-thru coffee gathering steam in its coffee market.
“What works in the US often takes off in Australia – just 10 years later,” he says. “I could see there was an increasing demand for convenience in the food and drink sector, but I also wanted to tailor what I created for the Australian market.”
While Rise & Grind’s two stores – a second opened in Preston in 2023 – focus on speed, ease, and efficiency for consumers like many of the US’ drive-thrus, Tony also ensures customers get a personal and service-orientated experience like they would in their neighbourhood coffee shop. To achieve this, the staff come out to the customer at their car and take the order via an iPad PoS system, before the customer drives to the next station where the coffee and food is hand-delivered to the car.
“Customers love it when we remember their orders, so this is something the team always try and do. We are very lucky to have had many of our baristas and servers with us from the start, and we also have many customers who visit us every day,” he says.
“We have a real focus on service and that’s the benefit of our face-to-face setup. If someone’s had a bad morning, we want to be able to put a smile on their face – whether that’s through quick service or a friendly chat. Without the customers, we wouldn’t be around, so we must value them.”
Despite his two venues getting through around 120-kilograms of coffee each week, Tony says the market over the past few years has been challenging. Before COVID-19, business was booming and during the lockdowns Rise & Grind was among the few venues that could continue to operate. However, the reduction in workers going into the office and the rise of working from home has taken its toll.
“Both of our venues are in prime locations on busy main roads. Everything was flowing very well until lockdown, but fewer people are travelling to work now which has been a challenge,” Tony says.
“I knew we had a concept that worked, so I was determined to get the numbers back up again. One of the ways we’ve achieved this is by teaming up with The Bean Cartel to elevate our coffee offering.”
Rise & Grind started working with the Melbourne roaster in 2021 and uses its El Rudo blend as standard across both venues. A mix of beans from Colombia, Brazil, El Salvador, Peru, and India, the robust coffee delivers a bold base to a wide variety of coffee serves.
“In a market like Melbourne, providing specialty coffee is key. The Bean Cartel offers a premium product at a great value rate that delivers great taste,” says Tony.
“The El Rudo blend works really well with what we do. Our customers enjoy the bold and long-lasting taste of the medium roast.”
One of the factors that persuaded Tony to partner with The Bean Cartel was the consistency of the product it provides. With a loyal band of regular customers, he needed a trustworthy roaster that would deliver the same great taste in every cup – whether it was the first or last of the day.
Alongside the consistency of the coffee, the key to delivering this was top-tier equipment. The Bean Cartel team fitted out the two venues with the latest La Marzocco espresso machines and Fiorenzato grinders.
“The consistency of the temperature of the multi-boiler La Marzocco machines means we can guarantee the same quality cup every time. Replacing the grinders sped up our workflow and helped to reduce the time it takes to craft each cup,” says Tony.
With so many coffee roasters in the city offering premium machinery and beans, Tony could have partnered with any brand. Yet, he says The Bean Cartel stands out from the crowd thanks to the team’s open and personalised approach.
“They are very upfront and honest, and that’s what we’re all about,” he says.
“The team fully understood our concept and have put in the time and effort to build a relationship with us that’s helped Rise & Grind to grow. Working with The Bean Cartel is like being part of a big family – and the quality of the coffee just tops off the experience.”
The Rise & Grind team are so delighted with the coffee they serve that their partnership with The Bean Cartel is promoted loudly and proudly on the brand’s social media and signage. Tony believes shouting about this is another way to attract new customers to the business.
“People in Melbourne are picky about the coffee they drink, so advertising that we partner with The Bean Cartel is a win-win. When people drive past and see the sign, they think ‘hey, I can get a great coffee there’,” he says.
Over the past year, a series of large coffee companies has ventured into the drive-thru market in Australia, including Starbucks, which opened its first drive-thru in Western Australia at the end of 2024, and Zarraffa’s Coffee which is expanding across the country.
While it could seem like Australia is on the cusp of a drive-thru coffee revolution, Tony says the venues might not be the easy money makers they appear to be.
“The drive-thru coffee concept is definitely growing, but there are challenges. The initial build is a huge investment and you need to get the location spot on. There are a lot of things to consider, such as slip lanes, council permits, and where the cars will wait,” he says.
“To achieve the speed needed, you also need a big workforce to prepare the coffees. At any time, we’ll usually have six members of staff on to keep things ticking over smoothly. Your wages will be ridiculously high compared to the average café.”
Despite the challenges he’s faced, Tony is excited about the future of Rise & Grind and its partnership with The Bean Cartel.
“We’ve seen a lot of growth over the past year and by the end of 2025 I’d like to see Mitcham at 100-kilograms of coffee per week and Preston at 50 kilograms,” he says.
“If we can achieve that, perhaps I’ll start looking for venue number three.”
For more information, visit thebeancartel.com.au or randgdrivethru.com.au
This article appears in the June 2025 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
