The power of coffee in community is evident in Dukes Café and Eatery’s involvement in Darwin’s evolving café scene. Run by Prabin Maharjan, the successful venue is a vehicle for engaging with the local population through coffee.
“I saw a big gap in the market with the knowledge and the skills I have, and the knowledge and the skills in the Darwin coffee market,” says Prabin. “I felt I could help young kids make good coffee.
“I started the café five years ago and have been working in coffee for two decades. Now, through Brew Dreams Coffee Training, we have trained 1600 students in four years and supported another seven to open their own businesses in Darwin.”
This desire for Dukes to be a cornerstone of the community filters through into its wholesale partners, with Prabin using beans from family-owned Queensland roaster Merlo.
“I only do business with people who actually want to help the community, and that’s what Merlo represents,” he says.
“We have the same vision of being a business that gives back in as many ways as possible. Merlo is a very good organisation and something that I want to be associated with.
“We use their espresso blend for our espresso machine, their Forza blend for our Moccamaster filter coffee, and their Organico blend for our cold brew. Three different blends well suited to three different coffees.”
The use of Merlo beans has also helped form the bedrock for what Prabin calls Dukes’ “reputation for innovation” in Darwin’s coffee scene.
“We’re always trying to come up with something new,” he says. “Whether it’s a new cold brew, a new way of using our espresso, or other different food or drink options, we are always trying to do something exciting.
“Hospitality is a challenging business, and it will be challenging in the future. The way I see it, to survive you must keep adapting to new things, new processes, new technology, and then if you give back to the community, they’re going to support you all the way.”
Dukes Cafe and Eatery
43 Knuckey Street, Darwin,
Northern Territory, 0800
Open Monday to Friday 6am to 2pm,
Saturday and Sunday 7am to 12pm
This article appears in the October 2025 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
