When Hassan Mourad was struck down with a leg injury, little did he know that a few quiet days at home would spark inspiration to establish his own café.
“I was out of work for about a month and was pretty much stuck at home. I started developing the concept of the café just as something to do. I then came across the location online and it started to get more real. I’d been managing cafés for other people for years, so it felt like it was time to go out on my own,” he says.
The café’s name and mascot of a blue Saint Bernard was inspired by the mountain dog, which Hassan says encapsulates the idea of St. Blue through the common characteristics associated with the animal.
“The unique thing about St. Blue is that it’s a little hub in a very densely populated area and this is where the idea for our mascot came from. A Saint Bernard is a very loyal, hardworking breed that comes to rescue people, and in a sense that’s what we do. We come and rescue people with our coffee every morning and set them up for the day. We’re small, but we have a lot of personality,” he says.
The individuality of the café is also reflected in the coffee, which is roasted by sister company Red Cedar.
“Red Cedar is an Australian native tree species and all our blends are named after Australian plants. We have Blue Gum, Honey Gem, Black Wattle, and Pink Hibiscus. We currently use Blue Gum in the café, which is a mix of Brazil, Colombia, and Tanzania,” he says.
“We picked these beans so the flavour profile delivered berry, caramel, and chocolate notes. I knew it was going to be used as a milk blend, so it had to be sweet without adding sugar while also being chocolatey and nutty.”
The food offering is centred around the customer, with the kitchen always open to customising orders to cater for individual tastes.
“We have quite a small space, so we have a one-page menu and a sandwich bar. A lot of the food is quick, but we love to use fresh, seasonal ingredients. For breakfast, our regulars love our smashed avo with bacon, egg rolls, and wraps,” says Hassan.
While St. Blue only opened in 2023, Hassan is already planning what’s next and is looking to develop his roasting business on a wholesale level.
“I’m happy with the café, but I would love to expand the roasting business. In terms of wholesale to other cafes, we have two offices that I already supply. It’s a small start, but I think the blends are very strong and could potentially compete against big brands. For the future, this is where my passion lies.”
St. Blue Café
Shop 1/17 Elizabeth Bay Road, Elizabeth Bay, New South Wales, 2011
Open daily from 6am to 2pm
