Coffee Anthology’s tenure on Margaret Street saw it blossom from a specialty coffee pioneer into a caffeine powerhouse – one lauded by many as one of Brisbane’s best spots for a cup. You’d forgive Coffee Anthology’s owner Adam Wang for perhaps wanting to rest on his laurels and soak in his status as OG caffeine chief, but being idle just isn’t in the hospitality veteran’s DNA. In late-2020 Adam opened The Maillard Project on Charlotte Street, a cafe that expanded upon Coffee Anthology’s coffee-first ethos with its own roasting component. This year he’s looking to spearhead a new concept much more ambitious in size. In a few months time, Adam will lift the cloche on Inter/Section, a 700-sqm laneway precinct within Midtown Centre that bridges Mary and Charlotte Streets. It’s here that Coffee Anthology has moved, picking up its brewing apparatus and relocating it to the multi-faceted thoroughfare in late-October. Coffee Anthology has been operating in the laneway from a pop-up coffee cart as the initial stages of the development took place, but, as of Tuesday February 1, the dispensary has officially started trading from its permanent bricks-and-mortar site at Inter/Section’s Charlotte Street end. The chic dispensary sits underneath high ceilings and amongst exposed brick, with a sturdy coffee and bar counter illuminated by five curved lights that seem to mirror Inter/Section’s arched entryways. Though perfect for express takeaway service, Coffee Anthology customers can also take their pick of the multitude of seating nooks spread out along the lane, from cushy banquettes with convenient power outlets to plush booths further along. Inter/Section’s spacious nature is what Adam hopes to be another selling point for Brisbane City’s coffee-spoiled clientele. With no need to be conscious of elbow room, guests are able to linger for as long as they wish – free to enjoy one coffee after another in a space where it feels like time doesn’t pass at all.

Though Coffee Anthology 2.0’s location and layout has changed, its dedication to showcasing an array of excellent Australian roasters remains as strong as ever. Adam describes this iteration of Coffee Anthology as a more streamlined version of its predecessor, highlighting the parts that worked and trimming superfluous aspects to better serve the city-dwelling, coffee-swilling public. Over the coming weeks Coffee Anthology’s nook will be equipped with some gleaming new gear, supplementing the kiosk’s two-machine set-up (including a La Marzocco Strada EP and a Slayer Espresso machine) with state-of-the-art Mahlkönig grinders and other specialty brewing apparatus. As always, Coffee Anthology’s multi-roaster approach ensures there’s always something new and interesting to drink, with caffeine guzzlers free to select from a tight menu of blends and single origins showcasing one crowd-pleaser sip, one chocolate and nutty variety, and one with a more fruit-heavy profile from some of the nation’s best boutique roasters. As exciting as Coffee Anthology’s reopening is, it marks only 25-percent of Adam’s plans for the whole laneway. Soon Coffee Anthology will debut a boozy offering consisting of an assortment of coffee-infused cocktails. Following that, Inter/Section’s kitchen will launch, showcasing a menu of quality cafe-style fare to enjoy with your sips. A second coffee bar will be added to the Mary Street end of the laneway, too, with regular takeovers from emerging local roasters and overseas labels spotlighting coffee that is hard to obtain in Brisbane. Finally, the team from Mount Gravatt patisserie The Whisk will take up residency at Inter/Section, serving mouth-watering baked goods from a pastry kitchen half-way along the lane. There are exciting times ahead – expect more updates on Inter/Section’s progress in a few month’s time.

Coffee Anthology is now open – head to the Stumble Guide for more info.