The new espresso bar is roasting and serving up specialty brews from its new Mermaid Beach digs – a rustic warehouse on Karen Avenue (with the likes of 19 Karen gallery and The Borrowed Nursery nearby), which is highlighted by crisp white brick walls, high ceilings and natural light that shines on one pretty impressive roasting machine. The all-new KoKo Coffee Roasters specialises in roasting boutique-style blends, which have been developed through a labour of love and passion from owner and roaster Alex Winter. The KoKo blends utilise beans sourced from Brazil, Ethiopia, Columbia and India. This isn’t just a roaster that relies on large green bean wholesalers and it’s certainly not your average coffee shop – this is as boutique as they come.

As a former United Nations worker, Alex had previously spent time in Indonesia as part of an aid development program, which assisted local communities in picking, processing and roasting their own coffee beans rather than being dictated by the mass-producing companies. It’s that mindset that Alex has carried over into his new venture – it’s all about the coffee, how it is handled and where it comes from. Trust us when we say your morning latte, long black or piccolo (whatever you’re into) tastes much better when you know exactly where it’s from. There are few places on the Gold Coast that are genuinely all about the coffee – in saying that you can still sip the goodness with a homemade biscotti in hand. So, pull up a stool at the timber-topped bar and watch the espresso magic unfold.

For location and opening hours, check out our Stumble Guide.