Australia is charmed with many small towns in the regional parts of our country however today we are focusing on the outback of NSW, Broken Hill. Broken Hill, or "Oasis of the West" is a historic mining town so pretty that Picasso could not do it justice (calm ya farm, it is a joke for you cultured folk). Locals of the region might have noticed an aesthetic van cruising the streets serving up both quality specialty coffee and immaculate vibes. However, this not where Giovanni’s Coffee Co story begins. A little over 2 years ago Abigail began slinging brews in the Morton Bay region before she and her family made the move to Broken Hill and took piece of us with them ❤

Hi Abi, introduce yourself and your go to choice of coffee?
Hi! Well, I am a mum of three strong willed girls, and an absolute coffee fanatic. I have been involved in the coffee industry for 16 years and it never gets old! Just a quick warning for you lovely readers ... I will go back and forth as a reference “me” and then “we or us” throughout these questions, because even though I do in fact run and operate most of the business, it really is a family effort, so it naturally rolls of the tongue when I refer to it as “our” business!
Okay I’ll get on with answering the question!

My choice of coffee you ask? It varies, so I will elaborate.

If I have an early start on an empty stomach, I will enjoy a 6 oz double shot lactose free latte for my breakfast (also known as a Magic, as most of you in the eastern states will recognise).
In the mornings when I’m not working early, I will enjoy going through the whole process of making a Moka Pot espresso (stovetop). This method of coffee I love to drink in the afternoon or at night when we have our family dinners. This brew gives me a real sense of familiarity and connection. I am blessed enough to have one of my Nonna’s old Moka pots that she had given my dad, and he has since given it to me. It is very precious!

And lastly we have filter brewing methods- particularly single origins with light, fruity and clean flavour profiles. Without a doubt, these are my absolute favourite ways of drinking coffee. I could sip on a batch brew or pour over ALL DAY

What was the inspiration behind opening Giovani and Co?
Ok, this is a convoluted story … so bear with me! So even though my background is in coffee, Giovanni & Co actually originally started with the idea of producing and serving food. Specifically Italian inspired food from our family table. And as you might be able to guess, we named the business after my father John (or Giovanni as he is also known, as is his birth name).

We then purchased an old food caravan and started the renovation planning process. Very quickly the kitchen plans were being overtaken by all thing’s coffee … I just couldn’t help it! So, we pivoted the whole idea and went full on into setting up a little coffee trailer. We sold the big caravan and purchased a small 2.5m long food trailer and hit the ground running! My father, John, gutted the interior and completely built out the inside of the trailer the way I planned it.

I guess the reason that I am explaining the process and decisions we made in your question about our inspiration, is because it is exactly that! Our family, the way we work together, plan together and adapt is the exact reason and inspiration as to why I, we, the family, do what we do! As much as it is my face behind the machine, marketing, and social media, it is definitely a family business, and everyone plays their part.

You have recently made the move to Broken Hill, what has the new hometown been like?
We are absolutely loving where we live! Moving to Broken Hill is about 12 years in the making for my husband and I. My mother was born and bred here, and my Grandparents lived here, and as such we used to visit “The Hill” a lot. You could say that the charm of this place made its way into our heart, as the desire to settle into a “small town” has always been our desire as a couple! Although having said all of this, Broken Hill is not really that small, and they sure do know and love their coffee! Broken Hill has welcomed us with wide open arms, and we feel so privileged!

Any special memories or stories about some of your new or regular customers?
It is hard to recall specific special stories as we have so many special interactions. Yes, that sounded incredibly corny I know, but it’s true! Even our milk delivery man had a great relationship with my husband and they were able to counsel each other through tough times! We built so many special connections up in Qld, and I will always be grateful to have had the startup there.

However, a recent interaction I had was very special … It was our first time out with the “Gio-van” in Broken Hill and we were privileged enough to be asked along to the infamous St Pats Races. We were meeting and becoming acquainted with many of the locals and somehow during one of our many conversations, I ended up discovering that I was chatting and connecting with my Great Aunt who I had not seen since I was 7 years old! That was a very special moment indeed.

We are stoked to be partnered with you and your business!

I love working with SCCR! You guys are an amazing team and happily tolerate my often-ridiculous requests and crazy disorganisation! But more importantly the product quality is fantastic. I remember meeting with Katie for a site visit and tasting, and I fell in love instantly with the business and coffee philosophy, values, and vision. Katie then proceeded to brew various espresso blends for me to taste, and afterwards I instantly knew I wanted to partner up! Katie also understood our ideas and vision perfectly. What I appreciate is that I can receive as much help and support as we need. And as the “little guy” in terms of output and business compared to others, that is so important!
I feel SCCR aligns with us not only as a business, but also as people. We are extremely happy with our choice!

What’s next for Giovanni & Co?

Wow, what is next for us? We have so many ideas and plans … and my brain never stops ticking over on where we could go and what we could do next! I am sometimes a bit slow to act on our plans and ideas, as my personality is such that it likes to sit in the background and not draw attention to myself … however I’m learning to put myself out there a bit more and jump at every opportunity!
In the immediate future however, we have secured some pretty big events locally that will be BIG operations for us. We will need to organise staff and lots of preparation and groundwork needs to be laid for these upcoming gigs.

Obviously, I would love for my children to grow up and work this business with me. We have plans to grow and scale our business to match our family’s needs and desires. I really feel we can connect with our customer base. And not only do we have that ability, but we also enjoy it! I do not believe it’s vain of me to say, but truly the art of hospitality flows through this family’s veins, and it’s definitely something I’d love to share with as many people as possible on a larger scale. How? Well, we are still planning all that! One thing is for sure, we have found our home here in Broken Hill and looking to make our coffee mark!