Newcastle coffee favourite is moving around the corner
After more than a decade slinging coffees from a shipping container at the Knights stadium, Darks Coffee Roasters has packed up and moved – but thankfully, it’s not gone far.
Sunday, September 27 marked the team’s final day at the stadium before moving just around the corner to a new bricks-and-mortar space on Griffiths Road.
For regulars the Darks team won’t miss a coffee beat with the new venue opening its doors on Monday, September 28.
The move comes after Darks was given notice that their time at the stadium had come to an end. With eight weeks to work with, the news initially came as a shock, however as Darks Coffee Roasters owner Trent Alders explained,
“It wasn’t entirely unexpected. When the team first dropped a shipping container into the stadium car park, the concept was relatively untested and we always knew the location wouldn't be forever.”
What wasn’t expected was just how much of a community would be built.
From tradies waiting for the shutters to roll up at 5.30am to customers dropping past every morning on their way to work, convenience has always been a big part of Darks – something the team wasn't prepared to lose with the move.
So, when a vacant space became available only a few blocks away, it made sense.
There’s plenty of parking, the same early 5.30am starts are planned, and the focus will remain on good coffee served quickly. But moving from a shipping container into an actual building comes with a few perks. For starters, the team is especially excited that there’s air conditioning!
More importantly for customers, there’s a kitchen, walk-in fridge and freezer, and enough room for the Darks team to start playing around with the offering.
The new venue will initially open with a similar espresso bar offering, with coffee, pastries, toasties, wraps and other grab-and-go options. Then, over the following weeks, expect things to grow.
There are plans for a larger breakfast and lunch offering, fresh juices, and an expanded drinks menu, including cold brews and flavoured cold foams.
Food will remain simple, with the focus on doing the basics really well and introducing more house-made elements such as sauces and relishes.
The new space will have some seating along the counter, small tables, and outdoor seating, but the grab-and-go convenience that made the original location work isn't changing.
“We can do exactly what we do and just expand on it. We’re not trying to reinvent ourselves or become a dine-in cafe.”
For the team, what initially felt like a change being forced upon them is starting to feel like a pretty good opportunity.
Staff are already throwing around new drink and menu ideas, the extra space gives them room to experiment, and their regulars won't need to travel far to find them.
“It’s definitely reinvigorated the team. Everyone’s pretty excited about what we can do here that we couldn't do before.”
There’ll still be some finishing touches happening after the doors open, and the bigger food menu will follow once the team has had time to settle into its new kitchen.
But first things first – get the coffee machine plugged in and get those doors open.
