Cafe Culture 2016 Australian Coffee Roasters Hall of Fame winner
The 2016 Compak Golden Bean saw the relaunch of the Hall of Fame to reward iconic coffee businesses for their achievements and longevity in the business. Café Culture Magazine sponsored this year’s trophy and was very excited about being part of this award process.
Managing Director of Café Culture, Sean Edwards, had the pleasure of giving away this prestigious award at the formal Compak Golden Bean awards ceremony.
This year’s winner was awarded to an iconic coffee family, Quists Coffee from Melbourne. Jim and Doris Niesen-Baruta were at the awards dinner and were taken aback and pleasantly surprised by receiving this prestigious award. Jim gave a short speech about the honour of receiving the award and about the background of the company’s longevity in the Melbourne coffee scene.
Established in 1938, Quists Coffee were the first coffee roasters in Melbourne. In the early years Quists was focused on retail, with three shops trading in Melbourne CBD. They only operate one store at their original location at 166 Little Collins Street, Melbourne. This shop sells freshly roasted coffee beans, along with a range of teas and coffee making equipment, as well as takeaway coffee. Quists now concentrates on wholesale and contract and private label roasting from their roasting plant, north east of Melbourne.
Jim said, “If you go back in history, the original business was started by a Danish gentleman by the name of Mr Quist, who started the company to service the coffee needs of an ever increasing European migrant community. Quists operated from the retail shop at 166 Little Collins Street, where the coffee was also roasted on the premises.”
Mr Quist, an elderly gentleman, eventually became too ill to operate the business, and a trio of investors was located with the assistance of the Danish Consulate to take over the business. One of the trio, Mr C.J. Matthes, operated the business and eventually bought out his silent partners. In 1958 his son joined him in the business, and they incorporated the company.
In 1960, Georges purchased the Little Collins Street building and planned to establish their hostess store. Quists had been advised that they may need to vacate due to this expansion by Georges. A factory was established in Little Latrobe Street, from where the coffee was roasted and an additional shop was opened in Flinders Lane behind the Regent Theatre. Also in 1960, a new European immigrant, Fritz Niesen, was employed to roast the coffee and assist with the growing demands of the business. The forseen expansion of Georges in Little Collins Street had occurred; however, Quists were invited to remain in the building. Quists now operated two retail shops and the factory.
Fritz Niesen had been buying into the company over the years, and in 1984 bought the remainder of the company outright. His daughter, Doris, had been working for Quists on a casual basis since 1976 and in 1989, Fritz’s son-in-law, Jim Baruta, started working at Quists to roast the coffee and assist with the further growing demands of the business.
In 2007, Doris’ father, Fritz Niesen, was presented with a Gold Melbourne Lord Mayor’s Small Business Commendation, representing over 40 years as a proprietor of a small business within the city of Melbourne. In the same year, Doris was bestowed a silver award for over 25 years in business and Jim a bronze. Jim received a silver commendation in 2014.
Quists Coffee is an iconic name in the Melbourne coffee scene, and Jim and Doris have worked behind the scenes promoting the growth of the industry. Jim and Doris are both quiet achievers and are very well liked by the whole industry for their dedication towards the craft of roasting and producing fine coffees and supporting many start up cafés and coffee businesses.
We wish Quists Coffee all the best for a bright future and modernising this iconic business, with plenty of new ventures on the books.
