With six locations across Brisbane, Espresso Engine has evolved from a local Fortitude Valley café to a cornerstone of the city’s thriving specialty coffee scene.
Its owners have worked hard to keep the heart of the business intact: it’s all about the bond between baristas and regulars.
For team member Portia Silwood, those relationships are the best part of the day.
“I love moving across the six cafés and seeing all the customers; I’ve known them for as long as I’ve been with the business, which is more than five years,” she says.
“We know all of our customers’ names, coffee orders, even with how busy we are.”
To deliver on this value, the business strives for consistency across all six venues in its food and coffee service.
“We use the same recipes for all our food items across the venues, and we train all of our staff the same way, so you should be able to go into any Espresso Engine and have the same coffee from Fortitude Valley, all the way to George Street,” says Portia.
A big part of this is the quality of its beans sourced from Merlo Coffee, which Portia describes as almost a “brother-sister” type of relationship.
“Merlo has really proved themselves as the top coffee company for Australia; and the loyalty we’ve showed them, and they’ve shown us, is deeply important,” she says.
Seeking out talent is also key part of operations, with employees encouraged to grow individually alongside the business.
“The big thing for Espresso Engine is when we see talent, we don’t just let them pass by – we really nurture and look after our people,” says Portia.
“I felt that throughout my whole career at the business, they’ve looked after me and seen the opportunities in me to grow, and have given me the room to do so, which is fantastic.”
With Espresso Engine at the epicentre of Brisbane’s burgeoning coffee culture, Portia is excited to continue expanding alongside it.
“We’re starting to see some real growth in the CBD, so that’s something to look out for in 2026; we’re really striving to grow into our own unique company.”
Espresso Engine
32 Turbot Street
Open Monday to Friday 6am to 3pm
85 George Street
Open Monday to Thursday 5.30am to 3.30pm,
Friday 5.30am to 3p
61 Mary Street
Open Monday to Friday 6.30am to 2pm
Green Square
Open Monday to Thursday 5.45am to 3pm,
Friday 5.45am to 2pm
Charlotte Street
Open Monday to Friday 6.30am to 2pm
Ann Street
Open Monday to Friday 6am to 3pm
This article appears in the February 2025 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
