The Local Pour - Cafe Girasoli

Along an old stretch of shops in suburban Sydney’s Allambie Heights, Cafe Girasoli has been quietly transforming the mornings of its customers. We sat down with the owner and brew-lover Andre to chat about the importance of offering consistent quality – and the big shift towards plant-based milks.

What is the vision behind Cafe Girasoli?

The vision behind Cafe Girasoli is bridging the gap or finding the gap in coffee and connecting the customer to a product that they really enjoy. It ultimately became about filling in a space that I saw had a lot of potential. Simply providing a really nice coffee was paramount for us, and it’s really changed the coffee scene in Allambie. Even though our product is a little more premium, people are starting to understand that and appreciate it.

Where is Cafe Girasoli located?

We’re on the main road in Allambie Heights on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, NSW. Shop number 3 of a small suburban stretch of shops.

Is there anything the cafe is known for / or you would like to be known for?

Amongst the locals of Allambie Heights, we’re known for providing a reliable coffee that they can come in day-in and day-out and get the consistency that they deserve. We’re also super proud of the single origin coffee we represent, being able to represent many different kinds of coffee as there is always more than just a house blend.

How important is it that you’ve experimented with all the different suppliers and roasters?

It’s been really important as we get to really understand where everyone is in the market. It has allowed us to determine the quality of the various products and in turn what we want to provide to our customers. This allows them to find the coffee that they will truly enjoy rather than something they might only half enjoy.

Was it always your dream to own a cafe?

It definitely wasn’t my dream at the start. But we worked our way around it, and we found that we could really change the way cafes were being run at the time and put our unique spin on it.

What has been the biggest challenge in running your own cafe?

The biggest challenge for us Is eduction. But also really trying to understand what the customer wants and being able to cater for each and every individual that walks into the cafe.

What’s your piece of advice for anyone looking to open their own cafe?

I’d say that if you have a clear direction in mind, just go for it because you really will regret it if you don’t take that step.

Have you noticed a distinct shift toward plant-based milks?

I have noticed a shift towards plant-based milks, 100%! I think a lot of people now are realising that they want to make the shift off dairy. And when they can have and amazing coffee with a plant-based milk, they’ll go for that.

So, what’s your go-to coffee then?

My go-to coffee is a good strong oat latte because I love the taste of coffee. I really, really want to taste all the coffee and I haven’t been too much of a milk drinker in the past. I’ve had other different brands of oat milk but with The Alternative Dairy Co Oat Milk, it really suits our style of roasting our blend coffee because it compliments and it’s really cohesive. It’s not overpowering and it’s not weak. You know, it’s got its own identity and I really, really appreciate what it does for our coffee.

The same goes for The Alternative Almond Milk as well. It works the same way, essentially. I mean, I’m not an almond milk drinker, but I’ve seen the way different customers respond to the almond milk that we use. I’ve been told by a few customers, like you can taste the coffee, and you can taste the unique qualities of our coffee with the almond milk that they haven’t been able to get out of other brands.

Do you have like a memorable story working at the cafe?

Look, I mean not to go on my high horse or anything, but I have a lot of good stories. Like every day.

I have a number of customers who’ve known me from different cafes and they have all come in. They are almond milk and oat milk drinkers. They’ve all told me "This is probably the best coffee I’ve ever had in my life." That’s not something I take lightly. Absolutely not.

I’ve only been in the industry for about four years. I did not think I’d ever be making someone the best coffee that they’ve ever had in their life. And given what I said earlier about how our oat and almond milk works with our coffee, I think it really goes a long way to say that.

There's something really unique and special that we produce and people notice, absolutely. When they tell you that they notice it, it’s such an amazing thing. It makes me feel so good to hear someone say "that coffee was amazing."

How do you find The Alternative milks perform?

The Alternative Dairy Co. is incredible! It steams so well, it’s super creamy and it doesn’t separate from the espresso.

How important is it to you to choose products made with Australian ingredients?

Choosing Australian suppliers and ingredients allows us to really come full circle and support everyone in the supply chain.