Living and Loving Hobart:: Atlas Espresso

Facing the daily grind can be a struggle. A morning coffee can help. A great coffee served by welcoming staff in a bustling café gives This Girl an energy injection to take on my work day.

Atlas Espresso prides themselves on excellent coffee, excellent service and a customer-focused environment.

Owners, Sue and Jon Stagg have made a career for themselves in hospitality. You might know them from Kara Kafe, which they operated for five years from 2003. Grabbing my morning coffee during that time, I’d always see an older Italian gentleman having his morning caffe corretto there. He’s followed Sue and Jon and so have I.

In 2010 the partnership reinvented the Red Bean Cafe, on the corner of Macquarie Street and the Elizabeth Street bus mall, and their current enterprise, Atlas Espresso, is thriving.

Walking through the bus mall on any given business day you’ll often meet a queue spilling out of the doorway waiting for their morning caffeine hit.

Don’t be put off by the crowds, consider it a sign of good things to come. And don’t be too concerned about the wait. Atlas Espresso churns out the coffee. With three people working the coffee machine, one pulling shots, one steaming milk, the third pouring the coffee and handing you your beverage, they make between 500-600 coffees a day, sometimes up to 1000.

The Guinness Book of Records thinks they’re quick too. Last year Sue was officially recognised as the fastest barista in the world making 289 coffees in an hour in the individual division.

One of the things that sets Atlas Espresso apart is their selection of little bites. While everyone else took the turn off to Giant Muffin Town, Atlas took the road less travelled and have excelled in an array of sweet and savoury morsels. Not too often do I fancy a big hunkin’ piece of cake to go with my coffee, but a little biscuit, sausage roll or mini-muffin, baked daily, is much more appealing. The mini-muffins are just 50 cents or free with their loyalty club after five cups.

Sue’s favourite is the chocolate brownie, and as a tip of the hat to me perhaps, it’s followed closely behind by her Monte Carlo. The Monte Carlo is This Girl’s favourite and as surmised, the secret ingredient is the coconut.

Atlas’ brownie (made to kitchen whizz Julie’s secret recipe) has won first prize at the Bream Creek Show, most recently this year. They also do full or half sized slices and there’s a modest selection of wraps, rolls and sandwiches to grab on the go or eat in.

They cater as well but you need to get your order in pronto because their popularity and the limitations of their small size means they often have to turn people away.

Capacity is an issue for Atlas, it’s a small space with a small kitchen and up to nine staff behind the counter. They’re now preparing to redesign the café to improve the space for customers and the flow of business.

Atlas Espresso is a family run business. When you meet Sue and Jon, it’s obvious they love what they do and they enjoy their interaction with customers. It’s more than good coffee and food, it’s the full package.

Patronising a venue where the staff enjoy what they do and have fun can’t help but give you a little high. There’s fun on the sidewalk too with Jon’s questionable sense of humour, pushing the limits on political correctness and good taste which is bound to give you a smile.

We sincerely believe everyone of our customers is precious and we treat them that way. We focus on high quality product and service and respect our customers and we want to make them choose us for our great coffee food and our welcoming happy environment - Sue.