Luke Harriss was a musician, playing drums for a living, but when gigs became scarce and in need of something else to do, he convinced friend and Australian cricket legend Brett Lee to enter the café business with him. After co-owning a couple of cafés, Luke went solo while Brett focused on cricket.
Unwined Espresso Bar has been in Lane Cove, New South Wales, for 25 years. It began as a café until a bar was added about 15 years ago. Over COVID, Luke restored the building and shifted to just a 30-square-metre space that’s focused on quick service and getting the basics right.
“We don’t have seating inside anymore; it’s more of a grab-and-go setup. Originally, when we had the bar, it had more of a vibe, but now we’re focusing on quick turnarounds,” says Luke.
Quick, but without compromising on quality.
“We’ve always done a bacon and egg roll, which is a favourite among the tradies. So, we came up with something called a Tradie Roll, with bacon, egg, hash brown, and cheese. It’s nothing fancy, but it works,” says Luke.
He shares a similar philosophy when it comes to coffee. Luke originally worked with different roasters to create an Unwined house blend, but he reached a point where the quality wasn’t quite up to scratch. He then came across Witham’s Coffee.
“During COVID, I read an article about Witham’s, so I called them up and thought they’d be worth a try,” he says.
“We’ve been using Witham’s ever since, and the results have been unbelievable – the roasts are top quality. Back when we first started, we were doing about 15 to 20 kilograms a week, but now we’re doing between 24 and 40 kilograms a week, which is great for a café that’s only open five or six hours a day.”
Unwined Espresso Bar
22 Rosenthal Avenue, Lane Cove, New South Wales, 2066
Open Monday to Saturday,
6am to 12pm, Sunday 7am to 12pm
This article appears in the February/March 2025 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
