My family history in the world of hospitality

Public holidays are an especially busy time in the hospitality industry, either myself or members of my family will be working over the entire Easter weekend. Yesterday was the calm before the storm so we made sure everyone had Good Friday off. The day was spent together having a barbie and chowing down chocolate. Food is very important to my family, we enjoy cooking it, eating it and of course it is our livelihood. So I thought today, I would write a little about the slightly eccentric but very loveable group I call my family.

The photo on the left is that of my dad, i'll call him Sir Schmidt for now. Sir Schmidt aka Helge was born in Berlin, Germany to very humble beginnings. He left Berlin for London at age 17 to escape poverty and motivated by dreams of becoming a restauranteur. His first job was as a room service waiter at the Connaught hotel, he worked hard and climbed his way up the ranks to butler which is when this photo was taken. After 6 years of slaving it out in various hotels and saving his money Helge was lucky enough to get the opportunity to strike out on his own. With the help of his twin brother, Helge opened a German themed restaurant in
Kensington and called it the
Twin Brothers. The place was a huge success and Helge continued to live in London as owner and manager for the following 12 years.



It was at the Twin Brothers that Helge met his Australian wife, my mum - Jan. You can see my mum and dad both serving at the restaurant in this photo. Jan is one of the finest self taught cooks around and has been the backbone in all of our family businesses. Including running her own place Jan's cafe in Woolloomooloo and starting up The Settler's wedding reception in Mulgoa (see pic below). She is one of those women who can rustle up a meal from
anything. Leave her in a room with a tin of tomatoes and a banana and you'll return to find a delicious 3 course meal. Maybe the tomato/banana example is a little far fetched but you get what I mean.

On the right is my older sister Heidi, who opened her first cafe at the tender age of 16!! Im sure she received lots of support from our parents but unbelievable all the same. Heidi's first cafe was named Cafe Heidi - real high brow thinking there.
This photo with me was taken in her opening week. She now runs and owns the Balmain institution, Cafe Berlin.

I can't leave my little brother, Karl off the list. A now not so little 21 year old Karl's main involvement in the hospitality industry is pretty much the same as his involvement with me in this photo. Eating. Yes Karl is the number one food taster in the family.

And lastly, this is me..... I think in this picture I am sampling one of mum's famous desserts. Slightly older and hopefully wiser, I am the next Schmidt in line to start out on my own in the crazy cafe world. The encouragement and support from every single one of my family members has given me the courage to start this new and exciting chapter in my life... hopefully I'll be able to make them all proud.

The Third Wave - What does it mean?

Ok, so you may have walked into your favourite coffee shop and been a bit bemused by all the coffee offerings of late. Everyone's getting a little bit fancy and for ordinary folk like you and me it can all get a little confusing. In this post I will attempt to diffuse the mystery surrounding the various science like instruments and what difference it will make to your cuppa. 

Getting a great coffee from your beans comes down to a few variables; heat, time, extraction, temperature, grind, pour and drip rate. Playing about with these factors has resulted in some new approaches for getting different flavours from the coffee and involving more of the senses in the overall experience. The third wave coffee movement is about trying all these methods new and old, straying away from mass produced roasters and sourcing the highest quality beans from all over the globe with a real push towards single origin coffees.

So what are some of these spiffy new brewing techniques:

Chemex/Pour-over
This method allows for complete manual control over the amount and quality of the coffee extraction, producing a round bodied coffee full of flavour with little acidity. Hot water (not boiling) is hand poured in a continuous motion over medium grains whilst being careful not to flood the beans. The coffee is then drip extracted through a filter paper cone. This method can take up to 5 minutes to produce so be prepared to wait slightling longer than your regular coffee. Great when prepared with single origin estates. Pour-over is about getting back to basics with the gentle withdrawal of flavours.


Cold Drip
I'll have it on the rocks please...drip... drip... drip by drip the coffee is extracted in a painstaking process that can take up to 12hrs. Cold drip is making a resurgence back into the coffee market where by iced water in a top chamber slowly drips onto ground coffee which then filters into a lower chamber. This is bottled for freshness and at drinking time you can choose to drink chilled or hot. Palomino Espresso will definitely be serving up Cold Drip - don't pass up the opportunity to try one when we open next month. Fantastic on a great summers day, you'll be able to pick up the subtle flavours from each single origin with an acidity thats lower than most espressos.

Syphon
One of the most delicate ways to brew coffee that can reveal the many underlying complex flavours. Its a very exact process using a scientific looking gizmo that is essentially a vacuum coffee maker. The syphon device is made up of two glass vessels one is filled with water, the other with coffee grounds. When the lower vessel is heated with what looks like a bunsen burner the pressure pushes the water up the syphon tube, the heat is removed, the coffee steeps and then strains itself as it drips back down into the bottom receptacle. As you could understand this takes a wee while (5-10mins) so order one of these when you have time to watch and enjoy. It turns the everyday mundane act of ordering a coffee into a full sensory experience. The extra time will be worth it when you notice the difference in taste as this process helps extract the unique characteristics of the bean.

Caffeine geek or not, the latest coffee trends are not to be ignored. Coffee is the new artisanal drink that can be gulped down for your morning buzz or tasted, appreciated and discussed, much like wine. Hopefully these explanations will entice you to try one sometime in the future ooor you can just wait till Palomino Espresso opens and come to us! We would love the opportunity to make you a coffee and explain the techniques further. You might find this opens up a completly new way of drinking coffee and become hooked... darling I wouldn't be caught dead drinking anything other than cold drip.

One final brewing method to mention. I invented it just this very morning whilst running late for work. Take a handful of coffee beans, chuck them straight in your mouth and whilst chewing try gargling with boiling water.

*Disclaimer: If you are clever enough to attempt the 'gargle' method, we accept no responsibility for your impending death.*

The most expensive coffee in the world

When one gets the chance to experience a cup of the most exclusive coffee in the world, one should not turn the opportunity down! Recently when on holiday in Bali my partner and I got the chance to do just this. Indonesia is actually the 4th largest coffee supplier in the world, most of this is produced on the higher altitude island of Sumatra but a small volume is grown in Bali along with the highly desirable Cat Poo coffee.

blind people think they look like cats

Cat poo coffee officially named Kopi Lowak was first brought to us by the Dutch, the same nation that gave us the Vengaboys, something about that makes sense to me. So old Mr Dutchy back in the 1800s decided that their morning brew would taste much better once squeezed out of a cat's arse, totally reasonable thinking. The Luwak is a cute furry creature native to the Indonesian islands and as part of their natural diet they enjoy a nice bunch of coffee berries. As the beans pass through their inside bits, the digestive enzymes of the animal's stomach bring out the flavour and body of the coffee and will convert anyone who drinks it. This is what they tell me. The process of collecting the poo covered beans, washing them, drying and eventually roasting is a lengthy one and justifiably results in a hefty price tag. You can expect to pay on average $40 a cup ($1200 a kg) anywhere outside of Indonesia. Luckily at the plantation it was only $5 a pop.

the moment of truth!

So what did we think? Well it was certainly a strong brew, very 

robust with quite a bitter aftertaste. However, this could partly due to

the heavy roasting process which is done by hand over an open 

flame till the beans are black! In Bali it is traditional to use finely 

ground powder coffee mixed straight into hot water. I learnt early on 

to let my cup sit for 5 minutes before drinking otherwise you'll end 

up with a mouth full of coffee grains. Overall, I give Kopi Lowak 

the big thumbs up but I am associating the whole experience of 

walking around the plantations, seeing the little kitty kats and

then drinking their shit. Thoroughly enjoyable!

a coffee tree

roaster dude - one pan at a time!

Charlie trying her hand at traditional coffee grinding

washed beans - pre roasted

established business or blank space??

if you don't take risks, you'll never move forward.

Alrighty, I know many of you have been holding out all day for this. So as promised we now have the exciting topic of.......drumroll..... the pros and cons of buying into an established business as compared to moving into a blank space.

First off is taking over an existing business. With this you get the benefit of walking into a premises with all the equipment and general processes in place and therefore also the potential of making money from day dot. This means no taxing that precious brain of yours with issues like DA applications, logos, layout, plumbing and yada yada. The major downside of this approach is that it costs. Expect to pay a decent amount for goodwill (the intangible value of a business) as well as for the fixtures and fittings. Ensure you look at all the business financials to determine if you are paying the right price. The other bumma of an established cafe is that you will find it harder to stamp your own feel and aesthetics into the place which a lot of the time is a big part of the excitement when opening a cafe/restaurant.

A slightly cheaper alternative to the one above is to find a business that isn't doing so well. Sometimes you can pick up a bit of deal doing this, especially if the owner is looking to vacate or get out of the lease. You can then offer a nominal amount for the business - say $10k and you still get to walk into $30-40k worth of equipment. Obviously try to understand why the previous business flopped. Can you make it a success or is the place doomed to failure.

Lastly, theres the option of moving into a blank space. You have the freedom to design and the fit out the shop as you please and yes you get all the headaches of dealing with the council, electricians and carpenters that go along with it. Designing your own cafe from scratch can be hugely exciting, attempt to not get caught up in the euphoria of your shiny new bank loan and the many ways to spend it. Before you can say 'david copperfield' you're over budget and only half way through the fit out process, doh! Do get plenty of quotes/timeframes from contractors and triple check your calculations. Include time spent working on the business with no income rolling in. If you decide to go this route, negotiating a rent free period with the landlord is a must - approvals from the council can take months to process.

Personally, I have lots of ideas for how I want my cafe to operate and look like. Therefore I will be creating it from scratch but in a property that was previously a cup cake shop so it already has a decent fit out in terms of kitchen equipment and storage.

The couple of links below will help you out if you're thinking about this sort of stuff. There's an incredibly boring but easy to follow explanation of calculating goodwill and a link to the NSW Trade & Investment website which actually has a surprising amount of useful information for small business including legal compliance info. Happy reading!

Valuing a Business

NSW Gov - Business Locations

The finer points of commercial leasing

I can make a pretty coffee, but can I start-up my own business? Hurdle 1 in this process is finding the perfect premises. This is quite possibly the single most important step in the whole cafe process and as a result many would be cafe/restaurant owners bring out the 'too hard basket' and never make it past this stage.

I have seen first hand how the property you choose can make or break your business. Therefore I put some serious time and effort into seeking out my little place, looking on and off for nearly 18 months before committing myself. Luckily for you I have a fair amount of experience in commercial leasing. My family have collectively started 8 various hospitality businesses from scratch. So to save you a lot of blood, sweat and tears I have compiled the following list of points to remember when looking for a business premises:

• Does the area have the right demographics for your target market?
• Is there a good amount of foot traffic for passing trade?
• Are you after an established business or a blank space?
• What is the current DA (development approval) for? Don't just take their word for it, you have to see the paperwork!
• If there is not a current DA, is there landlord approval to run the space as a cafe?
• What is the term of the lease? For example how long will you be tied into the lease for.
• Check to see if there are any development plans for the property - you don't want to set the place up just for your landlord to turn round 6 months later and re-develop the area upstairs into a 24 hour brothel, (saying that this may attract some new colourful customers).
• Does the property have a grease trap or mechanical ventilation? If not, can this be installed and at who's expense? Some landlords may pay for this or at least contribute towards the cost.
• Does the asking rent include outgoings?
• What toilet facilities are available? There are certain council regulations relating to this depending on the capacity of your property.
• What incentives are on offer? Remember there is always a deal to be had. This could mean a rent free period or the landlord helping with the fit-out, it doesn't hurt to ask anyway.
• Is there disabled access? If your site isn't at street level, council will require installation of a ramp.
• What available parking is there in the area?
• Are other businesses succeeding or failing in the area?

There may be other issues that come up along the way but the above is a pretty comprehensive list of questions to bring along to any estate agent meeting. A final tip is to ensure you get a good solicitor to look over the details of the lease to ensure there are no hidden gems that the landlord neglected to tell you. The balls in your court until you sign on the dotted line.

I realise this can all seem a bit daunting. However, if you approach it in a logical way and just get stuck in, it really isn't so bad, the lawyers will do most of the ground work for you anyway. If you are feeling overwhelmed or have any questions, thoughts on finding a property don't be shy. I am passionate about small business and will help if I can.

Some of the points made today warrant a whole post to themselves. Tomorrow we will talk about the pros and cons of buying into an established business as compared to starting one yourself from the ground up. Wohoo bet you cant wait, this is edge of your seat stuff!

Personal 5 favourite Sydney cafes

Ultimately I would like this blog to become a hub of information for others looking to get into the hospitality industry. Today I had intended to get straight into some of the business processes that got the cafe ball rolling but decided it wouldn't be a very exciting second blog post! Instead you lucky things, I will delight you with my top 5 coffee shops in Sydney; the ones that have inspired me and keep me coming back again and again. They are in no particular order, it would be too hard to separate these places which are all good for different reasons.

DEUS CAFE - CAMPERDOWN

This place is steadily growing into a chain so I can't speak for all locations but the one in Camperdown is a winner. I enjoy it for the atmosphere, for the yummy breakfasts and for the best almond croissants this side of almond croissant land. I never get the feeling of being rushed or squished in, its the perfect place to relax and read the paper. They use Little Marrionette beans and my flat white is always well poured. The  slight downside to Deus is that one can never resist a visit to the retail shop once ones stomach is satisfied. Hence your $15 brekkie soon becomes $100 after you fall trap to the lovely but rather expensive clothes that Deus has to offer.

Deus Cafe Website

MECCA

Voted Sydney Morning Herald's Cafe of the Year in 2011 and I fully concur with that result. Mecca never disappoints, they roast their own coffee which comes from all over the globe and although the food is simple, its beautiful in quality and full of flavour. Mecca is clearly a big player in the Australian coffee industry but they have managed to maintain that un-pretencious feel about them. I like that, I really like it a lot especially when so many of the other success stories have turned insular and now refuse to serve you unless you sport a trilby, button your shirt to the top and carry a pug in a organic cotton tote bag. Security will often check your bag for the pug at the door, just a warning. Anyho, I may have gone off the subject but the conclusion is the same. Mecca are pretty darn tooting good!

Mecca Espresso Website

DOUBLE ROASTERS

Boutique roasters over in Marrickville with the cafe set up in the same room as the roaster. These guys are seriously into their coffee and I found their passion and knowledge for the trade inspiring. The long black I had here was full of intense flavours and strong enough to blow your socks off. Would recommend this place to anyone who thinks all coffees taste the same. There are plenty of blends and single origins to choose from. So much so that you will leave buzzing like a bee!

Double Roasters Website

COFFEE, TEA & ME

It may not look like more than a hole in the wall but Coffee, Tea & Me will serve you consistently excellent Campos coffee with a smile. They know what they're doing and do it well. Just don't go here when overly hungry as they have no cooked food, its more snacks and bagels, all of which are nicely done. My favourite lunchtime regular.

Coffee, Tea & Me Website

CAFE BERLIN

What can I say, I had to have it in the list and not out 

of sisterly obligation. Cafe Berlin easily gets 

into my top 5. I seriously am yet to find a place anywhere that sells homemade food and baked lovelies like this Balmain coffee shop. Personal favourites are the pies, flour-less chocolate cake, brownies and of course the carrot cake muffins. When you add relaxed friendly staff and awesome value to the equation, you can't go wrong. 

Beware - cake o'clock gets very busy!

Cafe Berlin Website

And there you have it, my top 5. If you have any other recommendations please leave a comment and let me know. I always like to hear other people's opinions, cheers :)

In the beginning was the word, and the word was coffee...

For the last 5 years I've had this niggling desire to open my own coffee shop. The feeling comes and goes, wans and wanders but always returns. Part fuelled by my lack of enthusiasm for other jobs but mostly due to my experiences in many wonderful cafes. Nothing is more lovely than those moments spent watching the world go by whilst you rest in some good atmosphered coffee shop with your first long black of the day and a delicious sniggle-snaggle off the menu. Times like these would send my dreams of cafe stardom running wild and so the obsession grew.

Now I am not naive to the hardships and long hours of the hospitality industry. My parents have both been cafe and restaurant owners and my sister also currently runs a coffee shop over in Balmain called Cafe Berlin. Its awesome you should try it - plug success. The experience, the passion, the knowledge its all there. Ive just never made the final leap..... until now.

So the name is Palomino Espresso, you obviously know this as you are on the site of the same name - clever chaps. The idea behind Palomino Espresso is to be a cafe with the whole package - stellar coffee, honest homemade food with top notch service in a comfortable, positive space. In May 2012 we hope to open our little cafe and show off our passion for what we hope will be a lovely new cafe experience.

Keep your eyes peeled (whatever that sick phrase means) and your horses saddled for the most exciting new coffee shop to hit the CBD streets of Sydney!