Another week, another Build-Out from the [checks notes] absolutely bustling coffee city of Orlando, Florida, home to [re-checks notes] one of the most interesting coffee scenes in the country, all of a sudden. Today it’s a new shop inspired by all things Antipodean, in a spruced up trailer with a bucolic view. This is Kiwi Coffee Cafe.
The 2022 Build-Outs of Coffee is presented byย Dripos,ย Dona, andย Mill City Roasters. The 2022 Build-Outs of Coffee is sponsored byย La Marzocco,ย Pacific Barista Series,ย Acaia, Cropster, andย Marco Beverage Systems.
As told to Sprudge by John Palino.
For those who arenโt familiar, will you tell us about your company?
We are a kiosk custom built from a 14-foot trailer set in place in beautiful down town park and lake. We trimmed it up to look like a building.
Kiwi is a New Zealand bird and we have a New Zealand flair. I believe that NZ and Australia have done an amazing job in the coffee cafe business. They are hard to beat and I lived there for over 24 years owning cafes and restaurants. It is where I learned after NY what a real coffee was.
We start with roasting our own coffee, baking morning pastries, muffins, cup cakes, cookies, and we have a blended ice-cream that the customer can choose what they would like in it and on top. We will also have the NZ pies such as chicken and mushroom, beef and cheese, and egg pie. A quick grab and go hand pie. We will also be doing hotdogs, two sizes with several toppings.
Thee are a lot of children in the park and one of our staff is an actor so he will be starting up a free children’s theater in the after noon for the kids. Another staff member is an artist and she will be working with the local kids teaching them art.
We do’t have a big menu but we will see how it goes once we open. We are the only kiosk in a very busy park so we hope to do well.
Can you tell us a bit about the new space?
This is built in a 14-foot trailer. We even roast coffee in the kiosk. It is placed on a beautiful lake called Lake Eola. There are several thousand people a day walking around the lake. But there are times there will be 150,000 people walking around.
Whatโs your approach to coffee?
Creating an amazing blend that we love. Teaching with great tastes and introducing new items to the locals.
Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?
We are roasting on a Roast Master fluid bed air roaster. Our espresso machine is an Astoria Gloria. We make our own ice-cream waffles that we bake in a Moffat convection oven, and something very special as well is our ice cream mixer that mixes your choice of ingredients for it to blend.
How is your project considering sustainability?
We try to buy the right products especially being in a park with swans and other birds.
Whatโs your hopeful target opening date/month?
We hope to open within the month.
Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that youโd like to mention?
I have partnered with my cousin who has like me been in the business for many years. Myself living over seas for a long time, I had a tv show called The Kitchen Job. Its on Prime as well as Tubi TV.
Thank you!
The 2022 Build-Outs of Coffee is presented byย Dripos,ย Dona, andย Mill City Roasters. The 2022 Build-Outs of Coffee is sponsored byย La Marzocco,ย Pacific Barista Series,ย Acaia, Cropster, andย Marco Beverage Systems.
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