Launching a new café in a new suburb can be a challenge, but as BeanScene discovers, the key for Brewmance was immersing in the local community and tapping into Will & Co’s creative energy.
Cafés are often the heart of a community: a place for neighbours to catch up in the queue, parents to take a moment for themselves after the school run, and friends to debrief over brunch.
When long-term friends, baristas, and business partners Davide Crespi and Hoky Michael were looking to open a new café in the Sydney suburb of Crows Nest in 2022, they knew integrating into the local community was going to be crucial to the success of their venture.
“Hoky and I had been in business together for five years and already had another café in Neutral Bay. We’d had our eye on Crows Nest as an up-and-coming area and had found a great venue on the main street that was the perfect fit for the cool and vibey café we had in mind,” says Davide.
“Both of us come from small places in our home countries [Hoky in Indonesia, Davide in Italy], so creating a sense of community was really important to us. We wanted Brewmance to feel like home for the people of Crows Nest – somewhere the barista knows their name and they can see a friendly, familiar face.”
To engage with the local community, Davide and Hoky needed a draw. Noticing a gap in the market for a contemporary coffee shop serving specialty-grade beans, the duo got in touch with Bondi roaster Will & Co.
“From the moment we opened Brewmance, working with the team at Will & Co was a no-brainer,” says Davide.
“Not only do their values align with ours, but they also understand the energy we want to bring to our project – and their coffee is beautiful.”
Will & Co’s Eight-O-Eight blend was the coffee that won over Davide and Hoky, and to this day keeps regulars coming through Brewmance’s doors. The roaster also provides a rotating single-origin option to appeal to the more adventurous customers who want to try unique coffees and learn about different origins and processing methods.
In addition to helping Davide and Hoky find the perfect coffee for their venue, the Will & Co team also shared their creative vision to get the café noticed.
“When we were getting ready to launch, they went above and beyond to help us with marketing,” says Davide.
“One of the things we really liked about Will & Co was its branding; it has a beautiful synergy with Brewmance’s clean and contemporary look. Since we’ve been working together, the team have helped us with designs and visuals to attract attention to the café, which blends seamlessly with our own branding.”
Those who visit the café can’t miss the floor-to-ceiling mural telling Hoky and Davide’s story, which was commissioned by Will & Co and completed by a local artist.
“We worked with our designer to create our logo, but the wall mural was a collaborative project with the Will & Co team. They were super responsive to our ideas and requests, and we absolutely love the result,” says Davide.
Two years into the project, the Brewmance team couldn’t be happier with the community they’ve built and the relationship they’ve forged with Will & Co.
“Crows Nest has a really strong community feel and it’s great to be a part of that. While the café has a cool vibe, it’s not at all pretentious: we welcome people from all walks of life,” says Davide.
“We love the interaction we have with our regulars. One of the things that makes us unique is that we like to personalise the latte art to each customer. We’ll scribble notes into their drink to make them smile – they love it as much as the coffee.”
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This article appears in the August/September 2024 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
