Originally built for a friend of hers, Natasha Cleveland and her husband overtook the Park Lane Barista in March 2021, and since then, Natasha says it’s been the most amazing decision she’s ever made.
“When the opportunity came up, we thought, ‘let’s just go for it’. The first few weeks really opened my eyes to how difficult it can be to run a café, but we have great staff behind us, and we’ve taken leaps and bounds since opening. It’s the first and best experience I’ve had in hospitality,” says Natasha.
Park Lane Barista, which opens at 5.30am, has become a popular hole-in-the-wall take away espresso bar for the local community picking up fresh ham and cheese croissants, toasted sandwiches, Danishes and a piping hot coffee blended from beans from Toby’s Estate.
Serving its Woolloomolloo and monthly single origin blends, Natasha couldn’t be happier with Toby’s Estate’s prompt and thorough service.
“The thing I love about Toby’s Estate is just because you have a designated representative, doesn’t mean you only deal with them. I get calls from everyone asking how our machine’s going, or whether we have enough beans. It’s the most amazing company to deal with, everyone looks after you,” Natasha says.
Equipped with a Slayer coffee machine, Mythos and EK43 Mahlköenig coffee grinders, and a Puqpress automatic tamper, Natasha has all the coffee gear to cater for the cafés growing demand.
“When we first opened in March last year, we were lucky to be using 20 kilograms of coffee a week. Now we’re using 55,” says Natasha.
“We have such a supportive community. Small businesses can leave their cards here, and we have a few local authors that sell their books in the café. I made up a loyalty card for the local boys’ soccer club, and they got me a team shirt with my name on it”.
“And the local real estate agent comes down every couple of months and he’ll just put a tab on and whoever comes in gets free coffee. It’s that interaction with the customers that gets me up, excited to come to work every day.”
Park Lane Barista
133 Bryants Rd, Loganholme, Queensland, 4129
Open Monday to Friday 5:30am – 1pm, Saturday 6am – 1pm and Sunday 6am – 12pm
0439 991 002
This article appears in the June 2022 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
