Ways Coffee

In a suburban pocket of Adelaide, where polished modern cafés have become the default aesthetic, Ways Coffee has taken a different route – one paved with a chocolate-brown colour palate, stainless steel tables, textured walls and oversized tees behind the counter.

The venue’s retro-inspired fit-out, matched with jazz playlists and a laid-back energy, has struck a chord with locals hungry for something new.

Stefan Iannace founded Ways in May 2025, starting the venture with business partner David Girolamo who was a customer at Stefan’s well-established Cheeky Grin Coffee business 10 minutes across town.

That original business just celebrated five years, but Stefan wanted to take Ways in a different direction, differentiating it from his existing venture as well as other coffee shops in the Hampstead Gardens postcode.

“A lot of places have the same look now – bright colours, polished and modern,” he says. “We wanted something different. Something with brown subway tiles, stainless steel accents, and burlwood – materials you don’t really see here.”

That vision came from an unexpected place in Stefan’s wife, a marketing professional who had never designed a venue before. The result is a warm, nostalgic space that appeals to a wide demographic. Families, retirees, laptop workers, weekend brunch crowds are all seeking out Ways for its coffee, but also its food menu.

Stefan says the café is building an identity through its sandwiches, which he cites as one of the venue’s biggest areas of growth.

“Everyone’s doing hot honey chicken sandwiches, everyone’s doing Reubens,” he says. “We’re trying to do flavours you’re not getting everywhere else.”

A prosciutto-filled sandwich, a nod to both owners’ Italian heritage, has already become a cult favourite. Meanwhile, rotating specials are fast becoming the brand’s innovation engine.

“We’ve done a house-made pork and fennel sausage muffin, and now we’re bringing in a classic deli-style chicken sandwich – think homemade aioli with Greek yoghurt, onion, celery, avocado, tomato. Light and fresh, not your standard toasted chicken sandwich.”

More ambitious offerings – slow-cooked pork sandwiches, for instance – are on the horizon as foot traffic builds.

“There are amazing sandwich shops out there, so it’s hard,” Stefan says. “But we want to be the place people go to try something new.”

For Stefan, Ways is about community and craft as much as it is about seeking out a new challenge beyond Cheeky Grin.

“We were comfortable – things have been going well. But we wanted to push ourselves, bring something different to the area,” he says.

Six months in, the neighbourhood response has been heartfelt. Locals dropping off welcome notes. Regulars forming. Saturday mornings buzzing.

“Seeing the community embrace us has been the most rewarding part,” Stefan says. “It makes you feel like you’re bringing a bit of joy and happiness to people’s day.”

Ways Coffee

Unit 1/19 Ways Road, Hampstead Gardens
South Australia, 5086

Open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 7am to 2.30pm, Saturday 7am to 2pm, Sunday 7.30am to 1pm