In April 2014 café Co-Owners Rory Cremin and Lachlan McMurtrie brought their eclectic style and dedicated coffee passion to the residents of Rockhampton. The café had already been established for a few years under a different brand, but Rory and Lachlan were confident they could reignite the café into a popular coffee haunt.
“We wanted to add our own style. We saw a gap in the market in Rockhampton for specialty coffee, and we wanted to push the fact we knew a bit more then the average local about coffee,” says Rory. “The city didn’t have anyone pushing quality like Melbourne and Sydney does.”
Rory has spent the past eight years working in hospitality venues, while Lachlan is an engineer by trade and calls himself an “avid coffee drinker”. He still assists running a small business in town while juggling his newfound caffeine addiction.
The pair transformed the sterile white walls with splashes of colour and added ornaments to create style. “We wanted something that intrigued people, so we’ve gone with a style that’s a bit eclectic in terms of furnishings, with the theme of an new school library,” says Lachlan.
While the style is important to the boys, so too is their coffee focus. All their baristas are put through training, and even the locals are invited to attend a barista course once a month. “Coffee isn’t an afterthought here, it’s our menu focus,” says Rory. “We stand by our motto: Your Coffee. Our Science.”
The coffee is roasted from Duckinwilla Coffee Roasters in Maryborough. The house blend is Formula One, which Rory describes as “a bold coffee that stands out in milk with caramel and nut flavours, and acidity when served as an espresso”.
Six single origins are on display at any one time with favourites including lots from Costa Rica. A range of alternate brew methods are also available. “There’s always a lot of intrigued eyes once we light up the syphon,” says Rory.
Two Professors serves the only fresh-baked bagels in Rockhampton with their American-influenced menu. A must-try is the Reuben bagel with corned beef, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing and sauerkraut. “It’s an exciting time in Rockhampton. More people have an appreciate for quality coffee and are prepared to wait in line for a coffee,” says Lachlan.
