Tucked in the beachside enclave of Kingscliff, New South Wales, Salt Bean draws inspiration – including its name – from its small and vibrant community that welcomes everyone from holidaymakers to the neighbourhood surf crew.
The café has been a local institution since 2005, when Kingscliff was still a sleepy seaside town. Fast-forward 20 years and the venue boasts a 60-seat covered alfresco area and is part of Salt Village, a coastal resort with five different accommodation options.
When current Owners Rob and Klaudia took over in August 2017, they had a clear vision for the café’s future. Since then, the business has doubled in size and weathered the challenges of COVID-19 and the cost-of-living crisis.
“After years in the Gold Coast hospitality scene, we had the experience to get started on streamlining the business from day one,” says Rob.
His main aim is for the café to be known for delivering consistent service and quality coffee and food.
“We’re the brekky specialists,” he says. “We’re closed by midday, so we’ve got that early crowd nailed down.
“I’m a firm believer that people just want a good, consistent, smooth cup of coffee. When we’re crazy busy, we make sure the quality doesn’t slip. That’s everything.”
With a love of coffee rooted in his Melbourne upbringing, and more than three decades of hospitality experience, for Rob choosing Byron Bay’s Bun Coffee as his roasting partner was an easy decision .
The café uses the roaster’s Shade Grown Rainforest blend, with rotating single-origin options for black-coffee drinkers.
“What I love about Bun Coffee’s blends is that, when we have a massive operating window, they perform under pressure which is essential for a high-volume café like ours,” says Rob.
“During our busiest times, which is usually in summer, we’ll go through 100 kilograms of coffee per week.”
Rob says the quality of the coffee isn’t the only reason their partnership has remained in place for so long.
“David Kennedy from Bun is a fascinating guy, and is always finding new and interesting coffees. Sometimes he’ll say, ‘come try this,’ so I’ll drive down to Byron Bay and we’ll sit down, try out the new coffee, and talk rubbish for a few hours,” he says.
Immersed in the resort lifestyle, the café is surrounded by a mixture of restaurant options, including Thai, Mexican, seafood, and gelato.
“We move with and adjust to the seasons,” says Rob. “It’s a unique position to be in a resort, but we enjoy seeing all different types of people walking in.”
Salt Bean
12 Bells Boulevard, Kingscliff, New South Wales, 2487
Open daily 6.30am to 12pm
This article appears in the August 2025 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
