The Grounds has announced it will open a new site in South Eveleigh, New South Wales, in late 2020.
The site, in Eveleigh’s Australian Technology Park, will be The Grounds’ biggest yet, at 814 square metres and based in The Locomotive Workshop.
Head Roaster Nick Ferguson says The Grounds hopes to transform the space into a community hub, with a unique dining and coffee experience.
“It’s a beautiful space and a really central location, which will lend it to that community feeling,” he says. “The new venue will be about bringing people together and creating memorable coffee experiences.”
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The 200-capacity venue will include a dining area, coffee bar, and research facilities, with a roastery front and centre. Nick says the new site will place an emphasis on coffee.
“With our first café in Alexandria, coffee was such a huge focus in the beginning. As it grew and evolved, other aspects were built in, like a bakery, events space, and bar,” Nick says.
“Eveleigh will return its attention to coffee and brings together everything we’ve tried to do across our venues. It’s the missing piece of the puzzle.”
While equipment for the roastery and café is still to be finalised, Nick says he is partial to Loring Roasters.
“There’s a few brands we gravitate towards in terms of equipment. I’ve really learned to love roasting on the Loring,” he says.
“We’ll also be implementing a few new things in terms of quality control, so we can brew and roast the best coffee we possibly can. Every little bit is going to be executed with thought and care.”
Acme & Co will be responsible for the design of the new café.
“They are working closely with [The Grounds Director Ramzey Choker] as with all our projects. We look to honour the feel and bones of the old locomotive workshop, but also bring it to life with beautiful interiors,” Nick says.
“If there is one term Ramzey consistently uses about this space it is ‘it will be amazingly beautiful’. Think internal courtyards of European and North African villas. Lots of greenery amazing interiors.”
The Grounds rose to prominence with the success of its Alexandria flagship, which Instagram named the “sixth most Instagrammed place in Australia”.