Driving down the Bruce Highway in Queensland, a billboard sign with an attractive pair of legs and steaming cup of coffee has motorists losing focus on the road and shifting their attention to the words Sexie Coffie.
Owned by Jasen Barrie, sexie Coffie is a café, roaster and wholesaler, which started in 2003 and has surprised customers with its cheeky, quirky nature and quality coffee for the past eight years.
“We needed to come up with something that was going to create impact, create conversation and make the travelling public pull off the side of the road and come and visit,” Jasen says. “as George W. Bush says, ‘the shock and awe’ of it was to create that real controversy.”
Situated on a highway, a stream of tourists from Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, America and Japan typically stop-by, intrigued by the fresh and quirky business. What’s surprising about this café is that behind the naughty facade is a professional business that is serious about their coffee.
“When customers come into our store, there’s actually nothing controversial they can attach to us,” Jasen says.
Sexie Coffie is roasted at a nearby site using a 30 kilogram Joper coffee roaster. With an espresso oriented focus, Sexie Coffie offers a wide range of single origin blends available every month at the Maryborough and Rockhampton sites, including Desire, a soft, subtle blend that won bronze in the espresso category at the Melbourne fine foods and Mojo, an award-winning blend at the sydney fine foods.
With a cheeky breakfast and lunch menu, it’s sure to get customers talking. Try ordering an International Fling? Rough and Ready, or perhaps something Between The Sheets?
Jasen says the biggest selling items are the Chickie Babe sandwiches and Tool Box.
Coffee training sessions for staff, clients and public are also available at all sexie Coffie locations.
“Our market is very much about enthusing young people, staff and customers in the art of drinking pretty much just bloody good coffee,” Jasen says. “I love to see my customers get a kick out of the concept and have a laugh.”